


Skinny Love

by emanime5



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crimes & Criminals, F/M, Forbidden Love, Kissing, Love, Modern Era, Murder, Romance, Sisters, Slow Burn, Way longer than I intended, ooh the angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 59,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21623986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emanime5/pseuds/emanime5
Summary: "This was no love letter. This was a threat."Flunking math, bad hair days, inheriting a family business she doesn't want, falling in love with her sister's boyfriend...If Kagome thought she had problems before, they had just been multiplied a hundredfold. And having to dress up like her sister to confuse a stalking pyromaniac was only one of them.Slow burn. No pun intended.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Kagura/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha), Kikyou/Naraku (InuYasha), Miroku/Sango (InuYasha)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 27





	1. Sister Sister

August - Present

The shrine was quiet in the morning, as it usually was. Sunlight filtered down through the leaves of the old Sacred Tree and across the cobblestones, warming the ground with the remnants of the heat of summer. Birds chirped and Buyo, the shrine’s chubby old calico cat, waddled across the courtyard. She stopped at the edge of the Higurashi house, pouncing to claw her way up a wooden post to the roof of the first floor. Pawing across the tiles, she paused in a patch of shade to yawn. She was in the middle of this when a commotion from the second-floor window startled her, knocking her off the roof to land heavily on the ground.

"Sota!" Kagome hollered inside, pounding on the bathroom door again, "Hurry up and come out!"

"I'm not finished!" Sota's muffled voice responded.

"Ugh! What's taking so long? It's not like you have all that much hair!"

"I got here first, Kagome! It's not my fault you woke up late!"

"Well, I was up late studying!" She pounded on the door one last time in frustration, cursing every form of math she knew. Giving up on Sota, she hurried down the stairs, the smell of breakfast becoming stronger as she went.

Her mother, Asako Higurashi, stood at the sink, cheerful morning light from the window lighting on her short, curly hair, and sparkling on the few grey streaks that were beginning to appear.

She turned when she heard Kagome's quick steps and smiled. "Good morning, dear."

"Morning, mom!" Kagome returned.

"That's an...interesting hairstyle you have today, Kagome."

"Ah, no, mom, I haven't done it yet! Sota's hogging the bathroom."

"Ah, I see."

Kagome sat at the table across from her grandfather, who was preoccupied with the morning paper. As keeper of the shrine, her grandfather sat in his white kimono and blue kimono, reading the paper headlines while absently trying to put egg in his mouth with chopsticks. Half the time he missed, and bits of it ended up in his gray beard.

"Eh, look at that!" he exclaimed loudly, making Kagome look up from her own breakfast. Grandpa flipped the paper around to show her a picture of an old man holding up some antique looking samurai mask and a sword. "Do you know what those are?"

Kagome glanced over the photo, uninterested. "Some old junk he found in his attic?"

Grandpa's eyes lit up excitedly. "These are the mask and sword of none other than the great demon lord, the great Dog General who dominated the ancient east and western lands! It's said that his sword was created from a great fang from a demon, with the power to—eh? Kagome, are you listening to me?"

Buyo, who had wandered inside, and was trying desperately to reach the bit of food Kagome waved over her. "Get it, come on, kitty!" Kagome chanted.

"Kagome!" Grandpa pounded a fist on the table indignantly. "Have you no interest in our family's history and legacy? You know it is to be you who one day inherits this shrine!”

“Of course.”

“Then show a little more enthusiasm! This shrine has been in our family for generations and—"

"And our history if the foundation of our destiny," Kagome finished with a roll of her eyes. "You know I love this shrine, but save those kinds of stories for the visitors who come, not me." Kagome picked her dishes up and brought them over to the sink.

"Why, you ungrateful grandchild, you..." Her Grandpa sniffed, teary eyed. "You used to love my stories, Kagome. What happened to my little girl?"

"They grow up so fast, don't they?" Asako said to her father-in-law as he dramatically tried to choke back tears.

Kagome let the warm water run over her dishes and hands, scrubbing at the porcelain absently. Her attention, however, was focused on the window over the sink. She looked out to the line of trees at the edge of the shrine's property, searching their shadows and forgetting all about the running water.

"He's over by the archway, Kagome," Asako said.

Kagome jumped slightly, her cheeks a flushed. "Huh, what?"

Asako smiled coyly behind her hand. "He's over by the archway. He got here about ten minutes ago. I haven't invited him in yet, if you'd like to."

Kagome was already looking back out the window. A boy leaned against a tree trunk, arms crossed, the shade from the tree dancing in the breeze over him. Even in the shadows, she could see the white shirt of his uniform and long dark hair.

"That guy, really. Does he think we bite?" Kagome sighed. "Can't be helped—I'll go get him." She dried her hands on a towel before heading out of the kitchen.

She didn't hear her mother giggle behind her and say to her grandfather, "Hm. We may have a bit of a love triangle on our hands. Could be trouble."

"Eh?" Grandpa responded. "Love triangle? What's that?" Asako just smiled.

Kagome headed to the front entry way and reached for the doorknob, only to immediately stop and hurry back down the hall to a small mirror on the wall. She smoothed back her black hair the best she could, until she realized how ridiculous she was and gave up. She "humphed!" in determination and swung the door open.

She crossed the courtyard, calling when she neared, "Hey, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha turned in her direction, surprised, and straightened a little as she approached. He unfolded his arms and placed his hands in the pockets of his navy-blue pants, his long hair ruffled slightly by the breeze. He was the only boy she knew who could wear such long hair and still give off such a frightening air. She thought his hair was quite beautiful, actually, and sometimes she felt the urge to touch it.

She had touched it once, though he wouldn't remember—that had been the first time she had seen him. He'd been here at the shrine, asleep beneath the Sacred Tree, where he probably thought no one would see him. Kagome had walked by only by chance, and had been surprised to see a stranger sleeping on her property. Completely intending to give the trespasser a piece of her mind, she had walked over, only to stop when she saw how serene he had looked. She had crouched down next to him, wondering who on earth he was. Was he a tourist at the shrine? Was he lost? Why was he sleeping here of all places? His dark bangs were nearly in his eyes and the rest of his long hair was tucked behind him, but for some reason it had looked so soft and shiny that before she had realized it she had reached out and stroked it. Feeling completely embarrassed afterwards, she had quickly backed away before he had woken up.

It hadn’t been long after that when Kagome learned who he was and who he had been waiting for. Who he was waiting for even now, seven months later, standing beneath a different tree and watching Kagome come with severe golden-brown eyes.

"What's taking so long?" he demanded. "Is Kikyo done yet?"

Kagome shrugged. "I haven't seen her yet this morning. She'll probably be out in a minute."

"Geeze." He looked annoyed, but Kagome knew he wasn't. He was never annoyed with Kikyo.

Inuyasha’s face had become familiar to her in the past couple months. Beneath his usual scowl, he seemed tired and a bit tense. She wondered if something was bothering him, but didn't dare ask. That wasn't her place.

She gave him a smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's about ready. You know what an early bird she is."

He gave her a sidelong look and smirked. "Yeah, unlike some people. What happened? You lose a fight with the hairbrush this morning?"

A sudden heat flamed across her cheeks. "Uh! Well, excuuuse me for not wanting to get up at the crack of dawn just so I can brush my hair in time to come sit under a stupid tree, waiting for Kikyo and looking like a stalker outside her house!"

His aloof demeanor dropped, which was a total act, anyway, and she knew it, and a light blush crossed his cheeks when he snapped back, "Shut up! I don't need to be yelled at by a kid like you!"

"Kid! Who are you calling a kid? You're only a year older than me! And mentally you’re way, way younger than me,” she retorted.

"Look who's talking, Junior, you're the one always getting snappy and bothering me!"

"Quit calling me Junior! You know my name so use it, you idiot!"

"Who are you calling an idiot, you idiot?"

"You, obviously!"

They had gotten quite close in their argument, nearly nose to nose, and then it was just a glaring contest. Kagome gave in, as she usually did, ending it by spinning sharply on her heel. "Well, I came out here to invite you in for breakfast, but maybe I don't want a big jerk like you at my table!"

"I'd rather starve out here than have to sit by you, anyways," Inuyasha said, crossing his arms again.

"Fine, then starve!"

"Fine, I will!"

Kagome stomped back to the house, grumbling angrily under her breath. She slammed the door open, kicked off her shoes, and rounded into the kitchen, only to nearly run straight into her older sister. Kikyo stood at the counter, buckling the last latch on her school bag, her blue-plaid skirt and blue blazer pressed sharply. She kept her long hair out of her face by a low ponytail, exposing her square jaw and sharp eyes.

"Ah, good morning, Kagome," Kikyo greeted with a small smile.

"Kikyo, I don't know how you date that guy! He is such a _jerk_!" Kagome said.

Kikyo raised her eyebrows slightly. Kikyo had inherited the calm demeanor of their mother, and something the other siblings had missed completely. "You mean Inuyasha? Ah, I'm glad he's here already. I had something to talk to him about,” Kikyo said.

"Good luck talking to that idiot!" Kagome huffed.

"Have you two gotten in a fight again?" Kikyo gave her an exasperated look. "Why does that always seem to happen with you two?"

Kagome sputtered defensively, " _H-he_ started it! I was just trying to be nice! He was the one that had to be a jerk!"

Kikyo shook her head, her hair swinging just above her hips. "Kagome, really. _Try_ to get along with him."

"I do try! I try all the time! He's just so hardheaded and stubborn!"

Unable to argue with that, Kikyo picked up her school bag, straightening the skirt of her uniform as she walked away.

"Kikyo, dear, I haven't made a lunch for you yet," Asako said.

"That's all right, mother, I made one this morning. I left one for Kagome and Sota as well,” Kikyo replied.

"Oh, how thoughtful! Well in that case, have a good day, dear. Tell Inuyasha we say hello."

"I will. Have a good day, everyone." Kikyo gave them a last graceful smile and headed away, her Grandpa yelling blessings to ward off evil after her.

Kagome exhaled loudly as she heard the distant sound of the front door shutting. Her shoulders sagged and she avoided looking out the kitchen window as her sister walked toward the boy waiting at the front of the shrine.

Sota skipped down the stairs a second later, calling out, "Good morning, everyone!"

Kagome rounded on him angrily. "This is all your fault, Sota!"

Sota jumped at her glare. "What, me, what did I do?"

"You took too long in the bathroom!"

"Well, sorry, it's free now! Geeze, I hope you don't get this mad every time you have a math test."

Kagome gasped. "Oh my gosh! I completely forgot!" She pushed past him and disappeared up the stairs.

"What's with her?" Sota asked.

"Don't mind her, dear," Asako said. "She's just a little tense."

"Are high school tests really that hard?" Sota asked nervously, knowing he was only a year from junior high himself.

"Many things are hard for a young girl in bloom."

"What's that mean?"

"Fu fu," Asako smiled. Sota sat at the table, giving her a strange look. Grandpa said excitedly, "Sota, look at this, do you know what these are? These are the mask and sword of none other than the great demon lord, the great Dog General who dominated the east and western lands! It's said that he—Sota, are you listening? You ungrateful grandchild!"

Buyo sat on the kitchen windowsill, glancing at the boy and girl outside who descended the shrine stairs towards the street, side by side.

* * *

The high school wasn't far from the Higurashi shrine, so biking there in the mornings was simple. In Kagome's first year of high school she had walked to school together with Kikyo, but eventually Kikyo became busier and wanted to leave earlier, and eventually the sisters had decided to go at their own speeds.

Kikyo was now in her third year, so she was quite occupied being class representative, a teacher's assistant, president of the archery club, and a volunteer for service whenever extra help was needed. On top of that she was studying for the college entrance exams which were coming up, aiming for the medical program at Tokyo University. How she found time to relax (if she ever did) or have a boyfriend was a mystery to everyone.

So Kagome biked to school by herself, enjoying the wind that whipped through her freshly brushed hair. She made it to school with plenty of time, locking up her bike and catching up to her friends Eri and Yuka just as they were disappearing into the sea of blue school uniforms.

"Gooood morning, Kagome!" Yuka greeted loudly, her short hair and softball duffle bag jerking around as she waved. "Ready for the Algebra test today? I hope you studied up!"

"Ugh, don't remind me..." Kagome slumped forward. "I was up so late studying. Kikyo tried explaining it to me, but I swear she was speaking a different language."

"Some people are just gifted," Eri said with an envious sigh.

"Too bad it's not genetic. The gift of math skipped right over me,” Kagome said.

They followed the stream of high school students down the hall. Blithe morning chatter between friends was accompanied by yawns and groans at being back to school after the weekend.

The high school itself was large, growing up rather than out, like so many buildings did in Tokyo. Outside, a large grass field surrounded the building, and a stone wall encircled the campus. Inside, happy blue banners hung in the halls alongside the occasional poster, with warnings about the approach of exams or announcing the school play. Most of the classrooms were on the higher floors, with the first years on the lower floors and the third years on the highest. The stairs that lead from floor to floor, therefore, were a crowd of mixed students that required a lot of weaving through.

Kagome and her companions were halfway up their second flight of stairs when they heard someone calling out to them from behind. An older girl with tan skin and thick thighs hurried up the stairs after them, her thick brown hair pulled back in a high ponytail, a thick duffle bag with softball gear swinging behind her.

"Good morning!" Sango said as she caught up to them. "How is everyone?"

"Hey, senpai!" Yuka said. "I’m so ready to destroy Gosenki High tomorrow!”

"You bet!" Sango held up her fist. "We'll clobber 'em, just like we did Tokyo West last week!" She turned to Kagome and Eri. "Are you guys coming to watch? I made a bet with my brother I could knock another ball out of the park."

"Sure, our drama preliminaries will be done by then, so I'll be free," Eri said, straightening her headband.

Kagome sighed. "Depends on how badly I do on my math test. I might have to spend this whole weekend going over the test material again."

Sango patted her on the back. "Oh, come on, Kagome, you'll do alright. You usually manage to get by just fine.”

"I suppose so. And just so long as I pass, that's enough. Junior colleges don't need any kind of prodigies, right?"

"Right!" Sango shared her smile.

Kagome had met Sango through their younger brothers years ago, who were friends in the elementary school, and after a short time the girls had become friends themselves. They had grown very close over the years, despite Sango being a grade older, and had agreed to attend the same junior college in Tokyo once they had both graduated.

Eri shook her head. "I don't get you two. Why not try a university? Everyone else is studying for the exams and you two would both be a shoe-in."

"I don't need a university degree to help run the shrine. All I need is a few history classes and maybe some management, and I can get those at a junior college. And luckily those are all subjects I’m good at," Kagome said.

Sango nodded. "Right, and I'm planning on taking over my father's dojo, so a university won’t do me much good, either.”

"I'm kind of jealous you two already have your whole future figured out," Yuka said. "You have no idea how stressful it is when the teacher's breathing down your neck, telling you to pick a career."

"Hardly! Where's your sense of adventure and opportunity, Yuka?" Eri grabbed Yuka by the shoulders, a fire lighting in her eyes, her hair falling from behind her yellow headband in excitement. "Can't you see all the possibilities in front you, stretching on into the horizon, just waiting for you to venture forth and claim them?"

"Uh, I dunno Eri, all I want to do is play softball. Can't I just do that?" Yuka asked.

Sango and Kagome chuckled as Eri wrapped an arm tightly around Yuka and went on to dramatically describe all of Yuka's possible careers in her best stage-acting voice. They moved up the stairs ahead of them, ignoring Yuka's gestures for help as the other students stepped around the two girls, giving them strange looks.

"Eri always gets so fired up about the funniest things," Sango chuckled.

"I think it's great she sees the future like that. We need more people like her,” Kagome said with a smile.

"You're probably right."

They reached the top of the second flight of stairs, where a couple of first year girls spotted them and said excitedly, "Good morning, Kikyo."

Kagome turned her smile to them and responded, "Good morning, girls."

Sango watched the girls continue down the stairs, giggling to each other that Kikyo had greeted them. Then she turned to Kagome, irritated. "Seriously, people are _still_ doing that?"

"It's ok, Sango. It's not their fault,” Kagome said.

"Come on, it's been almost two years! They should know the difference by now."

"Those girls looked young—I'm sure they have no idea I exist. It's just an honest mistake. Besides, most of the second and third years don't mix us up anymore."

Sango puffed her cheeks out before deflating. "Well, then, you're a better person than me. I think it'd drive me crazy to be stuck in my sibling's shadow all the time."

Kikyo's shadow. That was where she was. Where she had been for a long time, she supposed. Funny, it hadn’t been that way growing up. Kikyo was just Kikyo, her sister who cared for her, and Kagome was Kagome. They had always looked alike, and it didn't help that they were only a little over a year apart—they had often been mistaken for twins—but it wasn't until she had entered high school that she realized what a large shadow Kikyo cast.

When Kagome had been a first year, she had been mistaken for Kikyo daily, and more than once someone thought she was joking when she said she wasn't her. After a while she'd gained the nickname "Kikyo Junior" and “Little Sister” from the upperclassmen. Kagome had decided early on to take it as a compliment, and eventually she had given up trying to explain who she was every time. She just let them think she was Kikyo, and knew that the people who really mattered knew who she was.

It did, however, bother Sango greatly. Sango and Kikyo were friendly, but they had never found the same soulmate-level connection that she had with Kagome. Kagome held the firm belief that Sango was the single greatest woman in Japan who could accomplish anything, and Sango insisted that the feeling was entirely mutual. She felt like Kagome didn’t deserve to be in anyone’s shadow.

"Speaking of getting out of Kikyo’s shadow, how's the club hunt going? Anything strike your fancy yet?" Sango asked.

"Erm, well...I'm still looking,” Kagome admitted reluctantly.

"Heh? What happened with the Astronomy club?"

"Decided it wasn't for me. I like the stars, but getting up at three in the morning all the time was probably the last thing I wanted to do. Honestly, those people are crazy."

"No kidding. What about the photography club?"

"Well, I might have had some nice pictures, but I opened up the back of the camera and over-exposed all the film. It's a shame though, I had some good pictures of you at practice, and this adorable one of Sota and Buyo asleep together." She sighed.

"Oh, Kagome. You sure you're not just being picky?"

"Maybe a little. But if I'm going to do something then I want to do something I like. I just haven't found anything yet."

"Yeah, guess I can't argue with that. You know the softball team's still an option, if you want it!"

"Thanks, Sango, but Michiko still gives me a dirty look whenever she sees me in the hall. I think she's still holding a grudge from when I hit that foul ball right into her face."

Sango winced. "Yeah, that looked painful. So, what's your next option?"

Kagome started counting on her fingers. "Well, I've tried the dance team, but that only lasted a day; most of the sports teams aren't really for me, plus they're not having tryouts anymore; the volleyball team asked me to stay, but I think I'm still sore from all that jogging they had me do; pottery was a disaster; I don't need to remind you that the chess club wouldn't even let me in the door. They said I didn't look 'strategic enough'."

"Those stingy nerds.”

"So, excluding all the Math and science clubs that leaves only a handful of clubs that are plausible, one of which is the archery club."

"And that would defeat the whole reason for doing this."

They both sighed.

Finding a club had been Kagome’s idea. It had come a few months ago, after one of Kikyo's archery matches that Kagome had gone to with her family. Inuyasha had been there, and after some yanking, Kagome and her mother had managed to force him to sit with them. Kikyo had been amazing, of course. Sitting beside Inuyasha and watching the judges shake Kikyo’s hand, Kagome had felt a small twinge of something she never had before.

Kikyo had and did so much. Kagome didn't want to take what was Kikyo's, and she was sure she couldn't do it as well as her sister, anyway. She wanted to find something that was her own, something that would help her feel like her Kikyo’s equal and not just her baby sister. But what?

So far all she had to show for it was a string of clubs she wasn't interested in, and she was quickly running out of new ones to try. But she wasn't done yet.

"Ok, enough of that,” Kagome said, squaring her shoulders. "I’ll find something I’m good at, even if I have to try every club in school!”

"Yeah!" Sango grinned. "You'll ace this, just like everything else!"

"Ace?" Kagome gasped. "The math test! Sorry, Sango, I have to go, I've got fifteen minutes before English class and I should use them to study!"

"Uh, ok," Sango waved goodbye. Kagome only got a few steps into the hall before Ayumi came out of nowhere and grabbed her.

“Yeek! Ayumi, why?”

"Kagome, there you are!" Ayumi said breathlessly, her curly hair and uniform slightly disheveled. "Where have you been! Glee club practice started half an hour ago!"

"Er, sorry, Ayumi, I forgot,” Kagome said.

"Well, come on, there's still time before class! We're all trying to practice the new John Denver piece for the club meet next week!"

"I can't really right now I have to study for—wait, Ayumi!"

But Ayumi had already grabbed Kagome by the hand and was dragging her back down the stairs, running past Sango who called after them, "That's the spirit, Kagome!"

* * *

Kagome gazed out across the sunny field, enjoying her place in the shade of the high school building. After being dragged away by Ayumi to practice _West Virginia_ , she managed to get back to the fourth floor just in time for class to start. Making it through her first three classes, she now sat against the outer wall of the school, eating the lunch Kikyo had made her. Ayumi sat next to her, flipping through her math notes. Kagome was also attempting to studying, but for the most part she kept getting distracted by anything that wasn't math.

Across the lawn, students sat in groups or pairs, enjoying the weather that was the turn of hot summer into a cooler fall. A group of boys, some in uniform, some in t-shirts and jeans, played soccer on the field. It seemed that it was everyone against Koga, captain of the soccer team, who kept ahead of all of them, his ponytail flying behind him.

Kagome watched them with little interest, just glad math had nothing to do with it. At the edge of the soccer field a boy with long dark hair caught her eye. He was walking quickly to wherever it was he was going, which Kagome assumed was to wherever Kikyo was. It was rare to see Inuyasha without her. Kagome thought he looked distracted as he cut across one end of the field, and her suspicions were proven when he didn't notice Koga headed straight for him. Both boys collided, and Kagome winced as they fell to the ground. It was only seconds before they were on their feet and in each other’s faces. If she had been closer, she would have easily heard the insults being thrown around.

She became a bit anxious when some shoves started being passed back and forth, but the soccer coach ran over before it got too physical and Inuyasha was sent on his way. Kagome sighed and shook her head, mumbling, "That Inuyasha."

"Hmm?" Ayumi looked up. "Did you say something?"

"No."

Yuka and Sango joined them, sliding down the wall to sit on the grass.

"Did something happen?" Kagome asked as Sango angrily yanked the lid off her lunchbox and began devouring it with vigor.

"Nothing at all," Sango snapped before popping the top off her juice and downing the whole thing. Kagome watched her toss the empty bottle over her shoulder before they turned to Yuka.

Yuka sighed. "Just that idiot Miroku bothering her again."

"Miroku Monk? What did he do this time?" Kagome asked.

"He just came up behind her in the cafeteria and gave her this huge hug, you know, like he normally does—"

"The lecher!" Sango interrupted.

"—and went on about how he'd missed her all weekend and when was her next game because he wanted to come watch—"

" _Such_ a pervert!"

"—and asked if she was free Saturday because apparently there's this dance club in town that he, and I quote, 'Would love to take Sango to, because she is the kind of beauty that demands to be danced with'. Then he, well, kind of—"

"He _touched_ my _butt_! Totally stroked it! In front of _everyone_!" Sango shouted.

Kagome dropped her chopsticks and Ayumi covered her mouth with an, "Oh, my!"

"The nerve of that guy, just who does he think he is, going around harassing women! Honestly!" Sango stuffed a large piece of beef into her mouth and chewed it ferociously, her face red.

"Seriously, there are still guys like that?" Kagome said.

"Right?" Yuka agreed, crossing her arms. "No worries, though, our senpai here acted in fine form. She smacked him so hard I think her hand print might be permanently embedded in his face."

"Serves him right," Kagome said, and Sango nodded curtly in agreement. Sango was indeed beautiful—a classic sort of beauty, one that Kagome imagined would have been in Grandpa's old fairytales, with bright eyes and thick chestnut hair. But unlike in Grandpa's stories, Sango was no damsel in distress. She was the best player on the softball team, and she had grown up doing martial arts with her father at their family dojo. Kagome certainly wouldn't want to be on the opposite end of her anger.

"Seriously, that moron, always hitting on girls like that, I don’t think he’s ever been serious a day in his life," Sango said.

Yuka hit her fist to her palm. "Ah, but speaking of poor saps in love, Hojo was asking about you today, Kagome."

"Eh, about me?" Kagome said, pointing to herself.

"Yep! He wanted to know if you had a date for the festival yet, but I've got your back, girl, and I told him you were definitely free!” Yuka elbowed Kagome, wiggling her eyebrows.

Ayumi put a delicate hand to her cheek. "Oh, wow, he must really like you, Kagome. The festival's not for a month."

"Oh, come on, I'm sure he just means it as friends." Kagome waved her hand at them. "Besides, I have to help out at the shrine every year, you know that."

"I'm sure your family can handle it by themselves for once!" Yuka said, grabbing Kagome's shoulder in fired-up excitement. "Just tell them the nicest, smartest, cutest guy in our grade asked you out and you can't miss this opportunity!"

"She may be right, Kagome," Sango said, having finally calmed down. "Besides, what's the harm in going on a fun date?"

"Yeah, you're right. But he hasn't even asked yet, so I'll just worry about it if he does." Kagome said with a shrug.

Yuka blinked at her. "Well, you're sure reacting a lot more calmly than I expected. This is Hojo, remember? Your old friend that you've only just been crushing on since _all_ of junior high?"

"Yeah, I remember," Kagome replied.

"What is it, Kagome? You don't like him anymore?" Sango asked.

"What!" Yuka exclaimed. "Don't tell me you've gotten over him? What horrible timing! Everyone's just been waiting for you two to get together for ages! And when you two were all cozy at the Christmas party last year we thought it was all moving along so nicely!"

"Cozy? You think so? We just did some karaoke together, is all,” Kagome said.

"Poor sap just took too long, I guess," Sango shook her head in sympathy.

"Or is it because you like someone else now, Kagome?" Ayumi asked with a cock of her head.

Kagome inhaled sharply and the rest of them gasped.

"What? You like someone else? Why haven't you told us, Kagome?" Yuka demanded.

"No, I never said that!" Kagome said, quickly shaking her head.

"Well, you didn't have to," Yuka said. "It's written all over your face."

"Eh!" Kagome put her hands to her betraying face.

"It's true! You can tell us, Kagome, really," Ayumi added eagerly. "Is he in one of your classes? Do we know him?"

"There is someone else, right, Kagome?" Sango said. "You've been a little spacey lately, haven't you?"

Kagome put her hands up in defense. "Come on, can't I stop liking one guy without having to like someone else? Really! There's no one else! Besides, he's a stupid jerk, anyway, so there's no _way_ I'd want to date him, and he's...not available."

"So there _is_ someone!" Yuka said.

"I didn't say that!"

"You just did!"

"Oh, how romantic," Ayumi sighed dreamily, "Forbidden love."

"There's nothing forbidden about it, it just doesn't exist!" Kagome slammed her lid on her lunch and stood up. "I'm done, how about the rest of you? Besides, where's Eri? I'm going to go find her." She stood up and stalked a few yards away to the garbage can. She could still feel the heat on her face, and wished that she wouldn't blush so easily.

She didn't like him. He was a jerk. And an idiot. And it's not like she talked to him all that often, really, and even then, they ended up bickering. He didn't seem to talk to a lot of people, actually, and he loved picking fights with anyone and everyone. She'd heard whispers about his family, but she didn't know much and her sister didn't tell her much, either. Sometimes, when he thought no one was looking, Kagome saw him look up at the sky with an expression that made her heart sad. Maybe some of the rumors were true. Maybe that was why he was such a jerk.

Well, he wasn't _such_ a jerk. He was never mean to Kikyo. And once he had given Kagome his jacket when it had been raining and he'd run into her in town. He probably didn't even remember that. If he did, he'd probably just thought he was helping "Junior", Kikyo's little sister. He wouldn’t know how she had carefully washed the jacket and gotten to school early, even before Kikyo, to put it on his desk with a small "Thank you" note so no one would see. If he did know, he'd never said. He was such a jerk.

"Kagome?"

Kagome jumped, not noticing that Sango had come up beside her. "Sango! What is it?"

"You all right, Kagome? You were staring into the garbage can with a really serious face."

"Yeah, I'm alright, no problems here!" She laughed, a little too loudly. "I just suddenly remembered that I've got that math test and I guess I must have panicked. Haha..."

"If you say so." Sango threw her trash away and dusted her hands off. "Kagome."

"Hmm?"

"Is it Inuyasha?"

Kagome just looked at her. Sango looked back steadily, her brown eyes unwavering.

Kagome smiled. "No, of course not. That hot-headed idiot? He's not really my type. Besides, he's Kikyo's boyfriend."

"Yeah. He is.”

Kagome didn't feel the need to say anything more, and neither did Sango. After a minute Kagome turned away. "Weren't we going to go find Eri?" she said.

Sango smiled, looped her arm through Kagome’s as they left the garbage can. "I believe we were!"

They went a few steps before Sango whispered, "Kagome, don't look just yet, but there's a man standing at the fence over there."

Kagome raised her eyebrows at Sango's suddenly serious tone. Slowly she looked over her shoulder at the wall around the school. It was nearly fifty yards away, past the soccer field, but she could still see the figure of a man standing outside the fence. He was wearing a dark suit and sunglasses, with shoulder length hair. She turned back to Sango, and although he was too far to overhear she whispered, too, "What about him?"

"Do you know him?"

"I don't think so. Why? Do you?"

Sango shook her head. "But he's been watching you for the last little while."

"What? Me?" She peeked over her shoulder again. He was angled in their direction, that was true, but he could have been looking at anyone. "What makes you say that?"

"I spotted him earlier. He's just been standing over there for a while, but when you got up to go to the garbage can, he definitely looked like he was watching you,” Sango said with a frown.

Kagome waved her off. "Come on, that's probably not true. He's probably on the school board or something, and is just out here inspecting the school."

Before either of the girls could look over their shoulders again to see if he was still watching, Eri pounced on them from the side, making them both jump and cry out.

"There, _wheez,_ you are, _huff_ , what are you, _huff_ , doing?" Eri said, resting her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.

"Oh, Eri, there you are!" Kagome said. "I thought we all agreed to study for the test during lunch. What have you been up to?"

"I've been doing what _you're_ supposed to have been doing!" she said pointedly at Kagome.

"Eh? What's that—"

"Did you _forget_ that the drama club has their preliminary competition this week? And _you_ said you wanted to be a part of it?"

"Oh, heh, did I say that? But the test—" She didn't get to finish as Eri grabbed her by the arm and took off towards the school, Kagome stumbling behind her. She looked back only once before they went inside.

The man was definitely looking in her direction.

* * *

Lunch ended with Kagome in the drama club room, wearing a hat with antlers on it and standing on a chair while the other members chanted in a circle around her until the evil demon king showed up in a black cape made from a bed sheet and broke up the party. Afterwards Kagome and Eri rushed to class, taking their seats just as their math teacher was preparing a stack of tests to hand out.

Kagome persevered through the test, glad to know that she actually did remember something from what Kikyo had taught her last night. She ran out of time at the end and had to guess on the last three questions, but even so she felt like she would probably pass. She was so relieved she dozed off during her next class, and Hojo, who sat next to her, kindly took extra notes for her. After class, he had given her the notes and asked with an adorable nervous blush if Kagome would be his date for the fall festival. With a smile Kagome had told him she'd do her best to make it.

The next couple classes passed uneventfully, and school ended to the joy of the student body. Kagome herself was packing her school bag to go when Eri appeared again, asking if Kagome could stay for another quick practice. With a sigh she had agreed, and after another couple rounds of antler-girl-on-a-chair, Kagome was finally set free. The halls were mostly empty, except for a few students going home late and a teacher or two. Looking out the windows Kagome could see the baseball diamond, where Sango and Yuka would be finishing up practice. On the other side of the school, Kikyo would be done with the other archers. If Kagome hurried, she'd make it in time to walk home with her and Inuyasha.

She didn't hurry.

Kagome slid the door aside to her classroom and entered the empty room. She headed toward her desk, rubbing her shoulder and saying to herself, "I dunno, I think all these clubs are going to wear me out. I should probably pick one quick." She reached for her bag and paused when she saw a white envelope sitting in the middle of her desk. On the front was neatly written the name "Kikyo Higurashi."

Kagome gave a small groan of pity. No doubt it was a love letter of some kind. The poor sap had no idea that he had confused the younger sister for the elder. She shouldered her bag and picked up the envelope, leaving the classroom for the hall once again.

It wasn't the first time Kagome had received such a letter, and she would always pass them on to Kikyo who would then kindly reject whoever it was from. Kagome had never read them, but sometimes she wondered what they said. What did people write in love letters? Did they go on and on about Kikyo's beauty and accomplishments? How they admired her from afar? Or did they actually know her, maybe were friends with her, and thought they could be a better boyfriend than her current one?

It was true, Kikyo and Inuyasha were certainly not the conventional couple—Kikyo was the admired and intelligent beauty of the school, quiet and demure; Inuyasha was the washed up loner with a fuse shorter and more dangerous than a stick of dynamite. They seemed for all the world like a strange match, but Kagome thought that they must work in their own way. Which way that was, she wasn't sure—neither of them talked to her much about their relationship. Still, Kagome thought it must be a beautiful thing to find a companion like that.

"Oh, speak of the devils," she muttered when she walked out the door. Ahead of her was Kikyo and Inuyasha. She slowed her steps, that familiar dark twist in her stomach as she debated whether or not to join them. But as she neared she noticed that the two of them weren't walking but were deep in a conversation.

Her steps slowed even more until she came to a stop, watching the two go back and forth. It seemed...heated. Inuyasha was visibly upset, his hands in fists, his shoulders tense as he looked down at the girl in front of him. Kikyo stood tall, but even she seemed less composed than usual, her jaw set and eyebrows furrowed as she spoke in between Inuyasha's louder voice.

Were they fighting? Kagome had never seen them fight. She'd assumed that Kikyo was the one person Inuyasha _never_ fought with. What could they possibly be fighting about?

The idea of passing them and being seen seemed way too awkward, so instead she turned and hurried back into the school. She walked through to the opposite side and exited there instead. It was a little bit longer home this way, but only by a couple blocks, and with her bike it wouldn't be too bad. Then she remembered her bike was still locked up on the North side and smacked herself in the forehead. She didn't dare go back for it, though.

What had they been fighting about? Even the best of couples fought sometimes, so Kagome assumed it was nothing too serious. Still, though, she was curious. She thought back to Inuyasha's weary face that morning, and his quarrel with Koga at lunch. No doubt he was just uptight and had probably snapped at Kikyo, and Kikyo, despite her calmness, wasn't one to back down easily. They'd probably hash it out together and forgive each other all before they even got home.

Kagome was halfway home before she remembered the love letter in her hand. She wondered if giving it to Kikyo on a bad was a bad idea. Why should Kikyo have to bother with it? She had to do the rejecting all the time. And Inuyasha didn't need the extra stress, either.

Kagome flipped it over and began opening it. Well, the least she could do for them was figure out who the letter was from. Then maybe tomorrow she could find the poor guy, explain the mistake, and remind him that Kikyo had a boyfriend so it was better for him to give up. Her thrill of discovering what went on in love letters slowly ebbed to confusion, and then a chilly feeling crawled up Kagome's spine.

This was no love letter. This was a threat.

* * *


	2. Beauty and the Beast

March – 6 months before the present

After checking that the street was empty, Inuyasha sat on the curb. Wincing slightly at his bruised ribs, he wiped a spot of blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked down at the smear with a disdainful smirk.

"Figures," he said aloud. That's what he got for letting himself get goaded into fighting a couple of obnoxious guys on the street—three against one weren't great odds, and he was spitting more blood than all of them combined to prove it.

It wasn't the first time he had run into them, that Bankotsu guy, or whatever, and a couple of his lackeys. They were always looking for a fight, and Inuyasha never failed to comply. Besides, he hadn't been in a good fight in a while—now-a-days he was usually with Kikyo instead. She'd be mad when she saw him. He knew exactly what the look on her face would be: a half-lidded expression, a mixture of disappointment and disapproval. She wouldn't say anything, she'd just give him that look, and it would both irritate him and make him feel guilty as hell.

He leaned back on his hands, flinching again at the pain in his ribs, and looked up at the blue spring sky. He wasn't in the mood to go home. Sesshomaru wasn't home at this time, but on the off chance he was Inuyasha wanted to avoid him. His brother hardly spoke to him, but if he saw Inuyasha bruised up he'd give him his cool, contemptuous stare, as if to say, "Too bad they didn't finish the job."

Just picturing it pissed Inuyasha off enough that he was too distracted to hear the bike whizzing around the corner toward him.

"Ah! Look out!"

The breaks screeched loudly and he turned just in time to come face to face with the front tire. Both Inuyasha and the rider went sprawling across the asphalt, the bike landing over Inuyasha.

He groaned, pushing the bike off and sitting up. "What the _hell_ were you doing?" he demanded, rubbing his head. When he saw the rider sitting up a couple feet away his breath hitched.

"Kikyo?" Damn it, was she hurt?

She turned to him. "Oh, it's you. Inuyasha.”

He blinked, slightly taken aback. It wasn’t Kikyo. Well, the little sister did look a lot like her if you weren't looking at her straight on. She got to her feet, dusting herself off with an, "Ouch!"

He stood as well, frowning at her. "What were you doing? Trying to kill us both?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you," she said, then suddenly gasped. "You're hurt!"

"Huh?"

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Look, you're bleeding!"

"Oh. No, this isn't from you."

She wasn't listening. She picked up her backpack and rummaged through it before producing a small box. "Ah-ha, here it is! Lucky for you I always carry around my first aid kit. Come here."

"Tch. No thanks, I'm fine." He turned to leave.

"Hey, hold on a sec! You can't just walk away!"

"Watch me."

"Hold it, you!" She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back.

"Hey, what the hell, I don't want your help, you—!" He stopped to wince at the stinging in his ribs.

"See! You are hurt!"

"I'm fine!" he snapped, holding his side.

"Will you quit it with the tough guy thing, you're not fooling anyone!" She yanked on him hard and he found himself sitting on the curb again, staring up at her. She put a finger in his face and said sternly, "Sit." Then she knelt in front of him and popped the kit open, shuffling around in it. "Ok, give me your arm."

He glared at her.

"Come on, do you want to get this over with or not?" she said.

No, not really. But this was Kikyo’s sister. He couldn’t just tell her off like he might anyone else. "Tch." He rolled his eyes and held out his arm.

She smiled. "Good boy."

He watched her down the length of his nose as she wiped the blood off a scratch with a cloth. This was only the second time he'd talked to her, the first time being just a couple weeks ago when Kikyo had introduced them at school. He'd seen her in the hall at school before that, and he'd been surprised by her resemblance to her older sister—they had the same curve of the chin, the same small nose, the same tilt of the shoulder when they walked. But after meeting her, he had been even more surprised at how different they were. Kikyo was poised and practical and polite, and her sister, well, wasn't.

Like now, for example—Inuyasha was horribly uncomfortable, aware of Kagome sitting close, holding his arm, bumping his knee, touching his shoulder. It was probably the most anyone had touched him in years, excluding times when he was getting the crap beat out of him.

"Hey," he said.

"Kagome."

"What?"

"That's my name."

"Whatever. Aren't you in a hurry?"

She glanced up at him but didn't pause in unwrapping a band-aid. "What do you mean?"

"You were going pretty fast. Don't you need to be somewhere?"

She smiled. "Ah, I just told my grandpa I'd help him set up a new sign at our shrine now that it’s spring, but I had to stay after school to finish some homework. It's not a big deal if I'm held up a couple more minutes. Thanks for worrying, though." She moved on to a smaller cut on his wrist, dabbing some ointment on it.

"I'm not worried, I'm just trying to get rid of you."

"Oh, ha ha, you're very funny."

"Who said I was being funny?"

"What about you? I hear you usually wait for Kikyo at practice, but she had that match today on the other side of town. So, what have you been up to?"

“…Nothing much.”

"Sounds exciting. Hold still." She lifted her cloth to his bloody lip, but he quickly leaned away and snatched it from her.

"I'll do it."

"Ok, then. But do it with your other hand and give me that one." She ignored his narrow-eyed look and held out her hand. "Come on, chop, chop."

He switched the cloth to his other hand and gave her the free one. He wiped at the drying blood on his lip in annoyance, but stopped when he noticed Kagome wasn’t moving. She was holding his hand gently in both of hers, running her thumb over his knuckles gently. They were beginning to turn purple with bruises that could only have been created by hitting something very hard over and over.

"What's your problem?" he said.

"Ah, oh, nothing," She gave him another quick smile and reached for the ointment. Inuyasha continued wiping at his face as she carefully rubbed the gel into the back of his hand. "Did they hurt you badly?" she asked quietly.

"Heh?"

"Whoever you were fighting. Are you hurt badly?"

He pulled his hand away, dropping her cloth back into her kit, and said, "Look, I'm fine. I don't need your pity or your reprimands."

She rolled her eyes and closed her first aid kit, standing up as well. "Fine. Well, just be more careful, ok? You shouldn't be getting in fights."

He snorted. "No one asked you."

She frowned but walked toward her bike that lay a few feet away. "Don't be so snippy! I'm just saying, you shouldn't get in trouble like that! You'll worry people."

"Yeah, right, like who?"

She scoffed. "Like my sister, you dimwit! Or your family! Or me! Plenty of people!"

He made a face. "Why the heck should you care?"

"Why the heck shouldn't I care?" she asked.

"Because you don't even know me, stupid, that's why!"

"Well, too bad, because you're dating my sister now, which means you're stuck with me! So, I'm forcing my friendship on you, whether you want it or not, you got that?"

He looked at her strangely as she mounted her bike. "Well, that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

She glared at him. "Well, that's just too bad for you! You have no choice, you big jerk!"

He was about to retort when something caught his eye. Kagome's foot was poised on the bike pedal, and her knee was exposed just beneath her skirt.

Kagome leaned toward him, eyes narrowed. "What are you looking at, pervert?"

"What, I wasn't—you're _bleeding_ , you idiot."

"Hmm?" Kagome looked at the scrape on her knee. "Oh, yeah."

"You didn't notice?"

She looked down at it, wincing as she wiped a bit of blood away. "Well, now that I think about it, I guess it did sting a bit earlier after I crashed."

Inuyasha stared at her. She had been kneeling on the street for several minutes, and she hadn't noticed? That all the while she was bandaging him up she had been bleeding too? "I don't know if you're the dumbest or just the weirdest I have ever met,” he said.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Well, same goes for you!" Then she pushed off and started pedaling away. She shouted back, "Stay out of trouble, you hear me?" And then she was zipping down the street and around the corner.

Inuyasha watched her go, then shook his head in confusion. Weird girl. He didn't know how she could be related to Kikyo—Kikyo made sense. Kagome definitely didn't. He turned and headed down the street, not certain where he was going but deciding it was safer than risking being run over by any more teenage girls. He glanced down at the band-aid on his arm and the glisten of ointment over his knuckles and again shook his head. "Insane woman."

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and with an annoyed grunt he turned down a street that led home. Might as well stay out of trouble the rest of the day.

::::

* * *

August – Present

After reading the letter, Kagome had read it again, then again, just to make sure. But there was no doubt about it—it was definitely threatening Kikyo. In a weird passive way, though, which almost made it creepier. The letter was short, only two paragraphs, saying,

" _The flowers are beginning to fade around your house, I've noticed. How quickly they seem to go, don't you agree? I would hate to see them unable to bloom next year, but I know you will do what you can to make sure they do._

 _"So, my dear, I hope you've considered my offer more carefully. I've yet to receive an answer from you, but I expect it to come soon. I won't waste your time and mine with threats—you already know them well enough. Don't make me wait too long, love. That would be unwise._ "

What offer? What kind of threats? Was this some dork just being creepy, or was this really a problem? The letter was only signed, " _O_." O? Who was O? They wouldn't have signed it with just an initial unless they knew for sure that Kikyo would know who it was from.

Kagome had made it home, but hadn't gone in yet. She sat on the shrine steps, out of view in case her family should look out any windows. Kikyo had gotten home safe, she knew that much. She had rushed home, and had made it in time to see from afar Inuyasha descending the steps angrily and heading down the street. She guessed they hadn't quite gotten over their quarrel yet. She wondered if Inuyasha knew who O was. She hoped so—somehow thinking that Inuyasha knew made Kagome feel better. Inuyasha would never let anything happen to Kikyo.

How did Kagome bring it up, though? Kikyo hadn’t disclosed any information about this, at least not to Kagome, and hopefully that was because it wasn’t anything. So, Kagome should act normal, and when she got the chance she would take to Kikyo privately.

"Right! Here we go!" Kagome carefully folded the letter and put it in her pocket, then ascended the stairs to her house.

Her family was gathered in the kitchen when she came in, chatting excitedly back and forth.

"Ah, Kagome, there you are," Asako said. "You're home later than usual."

"Yeah, just got caught up helping Eri with some stuff." She put her bag on the counter, trying not to stare at Kikyo, who sat by their mother.

"Kagome!" Sota exclaimed, "Did _you_ know that Kikyo is leaving?"

Kagome froze. "What? What are you talking about?"

"All right, at least I wasn't the only one left out of the loop," Sota said, crossing his arms.

Kikyo gave him a smile. "I didn't mean to leave anyone out of the loop, Sota. It was a rather last-minute decision, so don't feel bad."

Kagome's head started spinning. What were they saying? Kikyo was leaving? Where? Why? Did this have something to do with who had written the letter?

Kagome sat slowly in the seat next to her grandfather, her eyes focused on Kikyo. Kikyo was politely listening to Grandpa as he explained the lucky keychains he had on the table in front of him, telling her which one was for safe travel, which for good dreams, which was to keep evil spirits away. Kagome watched Kikyo's face, but it gave nothing away. It was merely serene, without even the remnants of frustration that she must have felt during her fight with Inuyasha.

"Where are you going?" Kagome said, cutting off Grandpa.

Kikyo turned to her. "Do you remember the scholarship I was offered by the University of Kotsui for their high school program for third years?"

Kagome nodded, vaguely remembered hearing something about it—a program where the elitest of the elite went to a boarding school and basically cram for six months before the university entrance exams. Not that they needed the cramming, because if they were so lucky as to be let into the program at all they were practically guaranteed entrance to any university and a glowing, successful future.

Kikyo continued, "Well, I’ve reconsidered, and I've decided to accept it. It's short notice, but I called them yesterday and they said they had held a spot for me.”

"Of course they did!" Sota said. "You're not a genius for nothing, sis."

"Thank you, Sota, but I'm hardly a genius. It takes a lot of hard work."

Asako put a hand to her cheek. "I'm just concerned that it's all so sudden. Do you really think you can be ready to go by tonight?"

"What?" Kagome said, her head snapping in the direction of her mother. "Tonight?"

"Yes," Kikyo said. "The program started today. I'll want to be there by tomorrow, so tonight I'll have to catch the last train heading to Aomori. I hope to make it by morning so I can ferry over to Hokkaido first thing."

Kagome gawked at her, no sound coming from her mouth.

"Ah, Hokkaido, the mountainous northern island. A noble country, rich with history." Grandpa stroked his beard, then suddenly sat straight up. "Do you think we can come visit you in Sapporo? We could visit the breweries and hot springs, don't you think, Asako?"

"Ooh, that does sound fun," Asako agreed.

"I won't be directly in Sapporo," Kikyo corrected. "The university has a campus about an hour outside of town. There's a small hospital there, too, so I'll be able to work there and gain some experience."

"Do you think you'll go skiing, Kikyo?" Sota asked. "My friend Tsukushi is from Sapporo, and he says the mountains there are the best in the world for skiing."

"I'm not sure, Sota. I don't know how much free time we'll have—I won't even be able to call home that often. I'm not even supposed to bring my cell phone. They have rules for everything."

"Are you sure you have enough money for the trip, Kikyo?" Asako asked.

"Yes, I have some saved."

"Yeah, and bring us back some souvenirs," Sota said. "Whatever you get Inuyasha, get me one, too."

"I'll see what I can do."

Kagome suddenly stood, slamming her hands on the table. "What are you all talking about? This is no time for that kind of talk! Kikyo's in a hurry!" This was insanity, but at the moment Kagome needed to talk to Kikyo alone to figure out what was really happening.

"You're absolutely right, Kagome," Asako said, standing up. "We've all got to help her get ready. I'll go call a taxi to be ready in a few hours. Then I'll bring the laundry in to make sure you have everything. Oh, and I should pull out that lemon cake from the other night—we should all eat it together before you go, Kikyo."

Grandpa stood, using the table to push himself up. "I'll go and fetch the suitcases from the storage room. Sota, Kagome, come and help me."

Sota jumped up to rush ahead of Grandpa, but Kagome looped her arm through Kikyo's, saying, "Uh, I think I'll go upstairs with Kikyo and help her start packing up."

"All right, then.”

Kagome grinned at Kikyo who smiled back at her before she turned and led the way up the stairs.

In Kikyo's room it looked as though Kikyo had already started getting ready to go. Clothes were on her bed folded in neat stacks, and the desk had been cleared away of any signs of life. Some of the pictures had been taken down from the walls and sat on the edge of the bed, and that's where Kikyo went, sorting through them.

"I have most of it done," Kikyo was saying, "If you could bring those books from the shelf over, then we can go through them."

For a moment, Kagome stood in the doorway and looked around the room, struck suddenly by memories. They used to share this room, just after their father had died. They hadn't needed to share, but they hadn't been ready to be separated. There was a time when they had always been together—their father used to joke that Kagome had followed Kikyo into the world because she couldn't wait to be with her. They were only a year and three months apart, after all, much to the surprise of their parents. It wasn't until sometime around junior high that they had started spending less time together. Kikyo had become extremely focused on her studies and increasingly active in school activities, and Kagome had begun making her own friends.

Kagome wondered when they had stopped telling each other things.

She turned and shut the door before pulling the letter out of her pocket. "Kikyo, does your leaving have anything to do with this?"

Kikyo paused, a picture in her hand of Sota and Buyo when both were very small. She looked at the letter quizzically. "What is it?"

"It's for you. Someone left it on my desk."

Kikyo set down the picture frame and took the letter from Kagome, glancing it over curiously. Her face darkened. "This was on your desk?"

Kagome nodded.

"Are you ok? Did you see who left it? They didn't talk to you or hurt you, did they?"

"What? No. Would they have?"

Kikyo sat on her bed with a sigh. "I don't know. I don't think so." She folded the paper and put it in her pocket. "Yes, this is partly why I'm leaving."

Kagome joined her on the bed. "Kikyo, who's it from? Are they bothering you? They haven't hurt _you_ have they?"

Kikyo shook her head. "No, he won't hurt me. Although I have been worried he might stoop so low as to try to do something to those around me."

Kagome took hold of Kikyo's sleeve, holding it tightly. "Don't try to hide this from me, Kikyo. Tell me what's going on. Are you being bullied?"

To Kagome's surprised, Kikyo let out a laugh. "Bullied? I suppose, in a sense, if you want to call it that."

"All right, so what is it? Tell me."

Kikyo shook her head. "It doesn't concern you. I have it under control—"

"It does concern me! You're my sister! And it was on _my_ desk, remember? So whether by accident or not I'm involved. What if they mistake me for you again? I need to know."

Kikyo gave her a long look before sighing again. She looked down at the rug on her floor, the patterns of red and white swirling around. "Do you remember last fall when I participated in that charity project at the prison? We were assigned inmates, do you remember? I was assigned to a man named Onigumo. He took an...unhealthy liking to me."

Kagome didn't really want to know what that meant. "And he's the one that wrote that letter? Is he out of prison, then?"

Kikyo nodded. "We were in the rehabilitation ward—the inmates there were nearing the end of their sentences and we were supposed to be helping them re-socialize. They were supposed to be the pride of the prison, proof that their programs worked, and several of them really were good people. Onigumo was different. He was charming and clever, and they told me he was a model citizen. At first that's how he seemed, but when you looked him in the eyes...I never liked those eyes." Kikyo trailed off, staring at the wall opposite them.

Kagome touched Kikyo's hand to bring her attention back. "So he's out now? And he's been coming after you?"

"In a sense. It's more as though he's trying to get me to come to him. He always wants to have the upper hand. With men like him, everything is about the power." Her lips curled into a cold smile. "But he will not get the best of me. That is why I'm going away for a while. It will be incredibly more difficult for him to contact and bother me if I am in the Kotsui program. There will be no way for him to reach me there, and he will not be able to use anyone I care about against me, either, because I will be separated from all of you as well. You will all be safe. Besides, the Kotsui program is a great opportunity. I will be able to hurry along my schooling immensely, and the quicker I can do that and begin to become successful, the more power will be in my hands. There will be nothing Onigumo can do to get to me."

"Are you sure, Kikyo?" Kagome asked, her eyebrows pulled together. "Are you sure it will be that easy?"

Kikyo’s smile softened and she took Kagome's hand. "Yes. There is nothing to worry about. Onigumo is indeed dark, but he’s not as powerful as he thinks he is. He was incarcerated for several episodes of theft, nothing more. He may be obsessive and power hungry, but in the end, he has no way to carry out his threats. And he is being very closely watched by his parole officers, that much I know. He is a creepy and a vile man, but that is the extent of him."

"If you say so." Kagome hesitantly smiled back. "Have you reported this to the police? And what about mom, does she know?"

Kikyo let go of Kagome and turned back to the photographs on her bed. "I've sent a letter to Onigumo's parole officer, who assured me they would keep an eye on him. And, no, I haven't told mom. I didn't want to worry her for no reason."

It was certainly not for "no reason". But that was so like Kikyo—trying to take on the world without help from anyone else. She saw everything like a math problem: everything was predictable, once you knew how to find the solution.

"Well, I don't see why you have to leave, then. Can't the police just look out for you while you stay here?" Kagome asked.

"Unfortunately, no. If we make it too obvious that we're trying to catch him, he'll go into hiding, and then it may be impossible. Better to let the correct authorities know, and then watch him very, very closely. Besides, the Kotsui program really is an incredible opportunity. I only hesitated in taking it sooner because I wanted to finish my studies at home."

Kagome stood with an exhale and leaned over the pile of pictures. Kikyo had taken many of them out of their frames, ones of their family and their father and Sota when he was young. The rest she left in frames, probably to be put in a box for when she returned home. Kikyo stepped away for a moment and Kagome took the opportunity to flip through the pictures left on the bed until she found the one she was looking for. She lifted it gently and smiled at it. It was a picture Kagome had taken at a carnival earlier in the summer. She was rather proud of it actually—she had caught Inuyasha off guard, looking over his shoulder at her with a small half-smirk on his face that almost looked like a smile. She'd snapped the picture just in time, because right after he'd spun on her with a scowl and tried to take the camera away.

She'd framed the picture later and given it to Kikyo, who had promised not to let Inuyasha see it and take it away. Not that there was any real danger of that, since Inuyasha had yet to set foot in the Higurashi house, despite months of dating Kikyo.

Kagome handed the photograph to Kikyo. "Have you told Inuyasha why you're going?"

Kagome watched Kikyo's expression soften as she held the picture carefully. Oh, that face hurt Kagome more than she wanted to admit. "No. I didn't want to worry him,” Kikyo said. “Sometimes he's a little brash and I didn't want him doing anything unnecessary."

"I'll bet he was upset when you told him you were leaving so soon." She didn't have to bet, she had seen it first-hand. "Doesn't he deserve a better explanation than that you just decided to up and go? He'll miss you a lot, you know."

"Yes. And I'll miss him." She drew her finger along the picture before shaking herself and replacing it in the stack to be left behind. "But he will be safer here, away from me. Onigumo would certainly make him a target, but if he thinks we’ve cut ties, he won’t care about him. Besides, Inuyasha will be all right—he knows I want to be a doctor, and he supports me. I wish he didn't get so upset about things, though. I'll be back in just a few months." She moved over to the bookshelf, pulling the books from their places.

"Well, can you blame him for being upset? He cares about you a lot, Kikyo, and I'm sure he's just going to be sad without you. But don't worry—even with all his faults and obnoxious traits he is very loyal."

Kikyo rolled her eyes. "You always have to pick on him, don't you?"

"Only because he usually starts it! Really, Kikyo, you know he's an idiot." Kagome crossed her arms and nodded in agreement with herself.

Kikyo smiled, lowering the book she was holding so she could put a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "I’m also going to miss you.”

Kagome wrapped her arms around her older sister tightly. "Be careful, Kikyo. And no more secrets—I want you to tell me things. You trust me, right?"

"Yes," Kikyo said, hugging her back. "But please, Kagome, don't tell anyone about Onigumo or any of this."

"I won't." At least so long as it wasn't necessary. If anything bad did happen there'd be no stopping Kagome from demanding a full-on military escort to return Kikyo home safe.

The pounding of feet up the stairs caught their attention and they pulled apart as Sota burst into the room, breathing heavily. In his hand was an old boxy suitcase, which he dropped loudly on the ground. "Ugh, Kagome, you shouldn't have left me! I got stuck because Grandpa found some smelly, dried up old claws in a jar and had to tell me all about how they were preserved demon bits used in ceremonies."

"Demon bits in our storage space? What else is new?" Kagome said.

"Gross, right? But, nah, I'm pretty sure they were just dried up old frog legs."

"Ew, that's even more gross."

Kikyo chuckled. "I'll miss you all."

That got Sota a little choked up, and the poor kid wiped his eyes and quickly went back down to get the other suitcases before anyone could tease him.

The few hours before the taxi arrived passed quicker than anyone was expecting. The car was already sitting at the bottom of the shrine steps when the family was giving a last-ditch effort to fit Kikyo's school supplies into suitcases. Then they all helped her down the shrine steps, hugging her tightly one by one, her mom sticking some extra money and a slice of cake wrapped in plastic into Kikyo's pockets. They loaded her things into the trunk while Kikyo glanced around the dark street.

Kagome knew who she was looking for.

"He didn't come?" she asked.

Kikyo shook her head. "No, and I didn't expect him to.” And for a moment she looked so forlorn Kagome felt her heart crack. She quickly threw her arms around Kikyo, squeezing her tightly. Kikyo hesitated, then held her back.

“Be careful,” Kagome said.

"I will. Thank you."

Then Kikyo stood with one hand on the open taxi door and surveyed the shrine steps, the street, and her family one last time before sliding into the car. Her mother squeezed her hand and made her promise to call from the school as soon as she arrived. Then the door shut, and the taxi pulled away.

The Higurashis watched for several minutes after the taxi had turned the corner. Then they headed back to the house, and Asako said they should at the very least go and finish the cake. Kagome made to follow her family when a movement down the street caught her eye. Her heart froze. Was it Onigumo?

No. The figure passed beneath a street light as he walked away, and Kagome recognized the red jacket and long black hair. She let go of the breath she was holding and watched him pass back out of the light and into the dark street. His name caught in her throat before she could call out to him, the letter to him from Kikyo clutched in her hand.

* * *

Kagome woke the next morning earlier than usual. She lay in bed for a while, mulling over the previous day in her mind.

How funny that things could appear a certain way one day, but could completely change the next. Like Kikyo's room, now that she had gone and taken her clothes and things with her and packed the rest away. Like Kikyo's entire life, for that matter. Kagome had once thought it was so perfect, but now she saw a dark blemish tainting it cruelly.

Kagome tried to imagine what Onigumo looked like, sweet talking the prison guards and then watching Kikyo with his unnerving eyes. She made a face of disgust at the ceiling.

Was Onigumo really not that bad of a problem? Just words and no action? Kikyo thought so. She thought being up in the northern mountains, away from life, away from phones and email and people would keep Onigumo away. Kagome hoped she was right.

She sat for several more minutes, the morning light filtering in around her, dust particles sparkling in the air. As she did, an idea started to form in the back of her mind, just a little seed of an idea. She let it float around for a while until it suddenly took root, and before she could fully process what the idea was she jumped out of bed and rushed down the stairs.

"Mom!" Kagome shouted. "Did Kikyo already tell the school about her accepting the Kotsui program?"

Asako raised her eyebrows at her daughter's sudden appearance, pajamas and wild hair and all. "Um, no, she didn't. She asked me if I would call today and explain everything to them."

"Good! I mean, don't worry about it, mom, I'll just go in to the office today and tell them about it."

"Oh. Are you sure Kagome? It's no trouble for me to call."

"No, really, mom, it's ok! I'll do it!"

"All right, thank you.”

"Sure thing." Then Kagome turned and bounded back up the stairs. She passed Sota in the bathroom, who flinched out of her way, saying, "I'm done, I'm done, the bathroom's yours!" She ignored him, and headed to her room, shutting the door behind her, and stopping directly in front of a small round mirror she kept on her dresser.

Her whole life people had confused her with Kikyo—today was the day she would finally use that to her advantage.

* * *


	3. Shadow Puppet

July – Two months before the present

Kagome awkwardly shuffled the stack of textbooks she was carrying with a grunt. This was her second trip, since she couldn't carry all the books at once, and her fingers were becoming tired. The halls were empty already, with only a few stragglers who were finishing up club business or helping clean out classrooms. Today was the first day of July and the last day of school just before summer vacation. And, of course, Kagome was stuck here late, helping her history teacher who had caught her before she'd been able to escape.

Ah, well. At least this way she was missing softball practice—Michiko still seemed a little peeved about Kagome accidentally knocking her on the head with a stray ball earlier that week, and Kagome was doing what she could to avoid her. Yuka and Sango had tried to talk her into coming anyway, but she simply told them that the classroom had to be cleaned somehow, and softball probably wasn’t the club for her.

She shifted her grip on the books again, feeling the sticky summer air on her skin and wondering if they had already turned off the air conditioning in the building. She was moaning to herself when when a door in the hall opened and Inuyasha walked out of it.

Her heart constricted a little, which she pretended didn't happen whenever she saw him lately. "Oh, hey, Inuyasha."

"Hey." He let the door swing shut as she stepped toward him. He looked down at the stack of books she held then smirked. "What, you get in trouble? Stuck doing the teacher's dirty work, huh?"

"Hardly. I just said I'd help out before leaving," she said.

"That's way less interesting," he responded.

"Hmph, I bet you only thought I was in trouble because this has happened to you so many times. How many classrooms have you had to clean out before, hmm?"

"Shut up.”

"What are you still doing here?" She asked. Usually by this time he was already hanging around the archery range.

"Teacher wanted to talk."

"Why? You failing?"

"Please. I've got straight A's."

She raised her eyebrows. "What, seriously?"

He crossed his arms. "You think I'm that stupid?"

"Eh heh, no, I didn't say that..."

" _Whatever_ , little Miss Afraid-she'll-have-to-do-summer-school."

She flushed. "Not summer school! My grades are fine! I was just worried about my math final before the summer, that was all!"

"Sure, Junior, whatever you say."

"I do say!"

"And how did that test go, anyway?" he asked smugly.

She opened her mouth to loudly inform him that she had actually done just _fine_ , when the door they were standing in front of opened a second time.

Kagome was standing too close and as the door swung towards her she tried to side step, only to find the heavy books she was carrying threw her off balance. As if in slow motion, she watched the first few books slide off onto the floor and thought for sure she was going down with the rest of them, when she was suddenly pulled back. She looked up with wide eyes at Inuyasha, who had caught her with one hand and grabbed the door with the other to keep it from running into her. With a swift movement, he put her back on her feet and rounded on the young man who had come from inside, grabbing him by the front of the shirt.

"Watch where you're going, why don't'cha?" Inuyasha snapped. "You nearly ran into her!"

The boy looked up at Inuyasha in alarm, holding his hands up in defense. "Oh, uh, I-I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was there..."

"No kidding, genius!" He pulled the boy out of the doorway and shoved him down the hallway. "Watch it next time."

"Y-yes, sorry..." The boy glanced once at Kagome before he shuffled down the hall and away from Inuyasha.

"Tch, idiot," Inuyasha said in annoyance. Then he bent down to pick up the textbooks that had fallen to the ground.

Kagome watched him gather the books, her eyes still wide. Well, well. Was he on the ground? Picking up books for a girl? She smiled to herself. No one would believe her if she told them that Inuyasha, troubled delinquent Inuyasha, had helped her. When Kagome had first met him, he was so obnoxious and quick to anger that she'd wondered how Kikyo was dating him at all. But every once in a while, he did something that made Kagome suspect he wasn't as badass as everyone believed. Or maybe it was because he was with Kikyo that he was changing. Kagome's smile faded.

He picked up the last book and straightened them in a pile. He was very handsome—she'd always thought so, although it was a different kind of handsome than other guys. His school uniform looked funny on him, as if he was out of place in them, and Kagome had seen him pull at his collar more than once the last couple weeks. She could only assume that trading his white t-shirt and red leather jacket for a proper school blazer was Kikyo's influence. Wearing the school uniform and getting good grades? She doubted he'd cared about those things before. He must really like Kikyo. Kagome wondered if he would ever cut his hair. She hoped he wouldn't.

"Hey."

Kagome blinked, realizing she had been staring. He was standing again, the books in his hands.

"What are you gawking at?" he asked.

"Ah, oh, nothing! Sorry." She turned away from him, hoping her face wasn't pink.

"Just spacing out while I do all the work, huh?"

Still avoiding looking into his eyes, she held out her stack of books for him to place the others on. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

He paused. "Yeah." He dropped his pile on top of hers, only to see her readjust her grip at the added weight. He rolled his eyes. "All right, give me some of those—"

"Kagome!"

Kagome turned to see Hojo jogging down the hall towards her. She suddenly felt anxious at the thought of Inuyasha meeting Hojo and wanted to minimize their interaction as much as possible. She turned so she was standing in front of Inuyasha, facing Hojo full on. "Oh, hey, Hojo. What's up?"

Hojo stopped in front of her, smiling, glancing once at Inuyasha. "Just finishing up some things before heading home. What are you up to?"

"Oh, the same."

He blinked at her huge pile of books. "Kagome, you shouldn't be carrying all those books yourself! It's bad for your back. Let me take some."

"No, that's ok—"

But Hojo had already reached forward and taken more than half the stack. He smiled down at her, his dimples showing beneath his hazel eyes. "It's no trouble. Where may I escort you, m'lady?"

"Uh…" She peeked at Inuyasha, only to find he wasn't behind her. She looked down the hall and saw him walking away, his back to her. She pursed her lips and looked back at Hojo. "These just need to go to the storage room."

"Then we're off!" Hojo started down the hall and Kagome followed him.

She watched Hojo's back, wondering at how it bothered her to have him and Inuyasha in the same place. She liked Hojo, but wasn't dating him, and even if she was it shouldn't bother her to introduce him to Inuyasha. Inuyasha was only a school mate. A friend. Her sister's boyfriend. Who happened to be really attractive. And whom she wished hadn't just walked away.

She looked down at the books in her hands and felt frustrated. Dang it, Inuyasha. It was his fault. With his stupid, beautiful face and being nice to her when no one else was around and looking at her with those stupid eyes that looked gold in just the right light...what a jerk.

She'd shake this. It was just a phase. She'd get over it by the time the summer was over. It was no big deal. Even now Hojo was asking her what her plans for the summer were. She'd make plans to see Hojo. That would solve her problems.

She made it a few more steps before the urge to look back became overwhelming. Alright, fine, just once. She glanced behind her.

Down the hall Inuyasha was still walking away, but for just a second he was turned, looking over his shoulder. Was he looking at her? She couldn't tell. But, then, what else would he be looking back at? It had to be her, right? Then he faced forward again and continued on his way.

::::

* * *

August – Present

This was idiotic. Quite possibly the stupidest thing she had ever done. Really, she had no idea where this idea had come from, or the thought that she could pull it off. She was turning around. She was going home. She was never trying something this dumb again.

Oh, crap. She'd been spotted.

"Good morning, Kikyo," a third-year girl said. "Headed to class?"

Kagome swallowed her panic and said in the best Kikyo-like voice she could muster. "Good morning. Yes, I am."

"All right. I'll see you in third period, then." The girl smiled and moved along in the hallway, not looking back.

Kagome sighed. She stood just inside the front door of the school, watching the students mill about, but had yet to venture forth.

She wore her own uniform but had done her very best to make herself look like Kikyo. She'd worn her most practical shoes, and instead of wearing her school bag like a backpack, she held it in front of her like Kikyo would. At first Kagome had struggled with her hair—Kikyo's was long and straight as a board, but Kagome's was several inches shorter, with a natural wave from her mother. She had brushed her hair as straight as she could, and if anyone mentioned it she'd just say she was trying something new. There were slight differences in their facial features—Kikyo's jaw was sharper, Kagome's skin wasn’t as porcelain—but if they used to look alike before, Kagome was now making it almost impossible to tell them apart. And if Kagome could pull off acting enough like Kikyo to pass off as her, then she would be in fine business.

So much for trying to get out of Kikyo's shadow. She tried not to think of the psychological problems that would be inferred with what she was doing.

Her biggest problem would be Inuyasha, and Kagome silently prayed that he would catch cold and not come to school that day. On the other hand, she hoped he did come, if for no other reason than that she wanted to see him, to make sure he was ok. But she'd have to worry about him later—for now she had to focus on making it past the front door.

Kagome took a deep breath, squared her shoulders in the way she thought Kikyo would, and stepped into the flow of students.

Several people bid her a good morning on her way up the stairs, all but one of them referring to her as Kikyo. The one who did call her Kagome made her panic for a second, but then she realized that the student was already walking on, not noticing anything was out of place. She calmed herself and continued like nothing had happened, always keeping an eye out in case she spotted a boy with golden eyes and a scowl.

She made it to the fourth floor and stepped into the third-year hallway. Luckily, she had visited Kikyo up here before so she knew where a few of the classes were. She went straight to Kikyo's homeroom, greeting her fellow students in the halls with calm smiles and polite nods of the head.

At the doorway of her classroom, Kagome stopped. She hadn't the slightest clue which seat was Kikyo's, but she had prepared for this. On her walk to school she had tried to think of how she could convincingly be Kikyo without being Kikyo, and she was pretty sure she had come up with something brilliant.

"Excuse me," she said to the nearest student, "I'm sorry to bother you, but may I ask your help finding my seat? I lost my contacts yesterday, and I'm afraid I can hardly see a thing without them."

"Sure thing, Kikyo." The boy led her to her seat and she sat down. Several of the students around her turned to her with smiles while she opened her bag. Everyone seemed happy to see her—to see Kikyo—and Kagome wondered if Kikyo was close with any of them. Kikyo was friendly with everyone, and she had some friends, mainly in the archery club, but Kagome hadn't heard her talk about them often. She assumed this was just part of Kikyo's reserved personality, so she was bracing herself for some mysterious friends to appear who might know upon sight that she wasn't Kikyo. No one in this room, however, did.

"I didn't know you needed contacts, Kikyo," the girl next to Kagome said.

"Oh, yes," Kagome said. "I'm nearly blind without them. I have an appointment with the doctor today, where I will order some more, but I'm afraid my prescription is somewhat rare and takes longer to come than others. So if you would all be so kind as to have some patience with me, I would be very grateful. I hope you are not offended if I don't recognize you or know who you are."

"Of course not, Kikyo," someone reassured her, "It's no trouble." Several other students agreed.

"Well, it's a lucky thing we have our first three classes together," a girl said with a grin, "You can just walk with me, Kikyo. I'll make sure you get there."

 _Success! Total piece of cake_ , Kagome thought. She smiled in what she imagined to be her best Kikyo smile. "Thank you very much."

Then she pretended to be very focused on pulling her things out of her bag, holding the books ridiculously close to her nose as if pretending to read them. The conversation around her went on as her fellow students talked about the class, the homework, who was dating who, and only turned to Kikyo when they needed her approval or opinion on something. Once they had it, the conversation was then validated and they could move on to the next topic.

The first class started and ended harmlessly, and Kagome left with the girl who said she'd take her to her next class. Kagome listened as the girl chatted, finding it interesting to suddenly be in Kikyo's world. So, these were the people Kikyo talked to every day? These were her classes, this is where she walked? This was a new take on walking a mile in someone else’s shoes.

They made it to their next class but Kagome stopped cold at the front door. Her heart skipped before it sank and began to dissolve in her stomach acid.

Sitting beneath a window on the far side of the room was Inuyasha. Several students sat around him, but none of them were attempting to talk to him. He sat with his chin in his palm, facing out the window with a faraway look in his eyes. She must have been staring, because after a second he turned towards her, doing a double take. Kagome watched what she thought must have been hope quickly turn into flat out confusion.

 _Dang it, dang it, dang it!_ She chanted inwardly. She cursed Kikyo silently for never telling her which classes she had with Inuyasha. Then she cursed Inuyasha for coming to class that day, and mentally yelled at him to go home and be depressed that his girlfriend had skipped town.

He was mad, she just knew it. And confused. And possibly hurt. Dang it. Would he rat her out? Maybe. She had no good reason for doing this except for the truth, which she had promised she wouldn’t tell him.

He was still staring at her and she gave him a sheepish smile, her shoulders rising in an insecure shrug. Then she remembered that Inuyasha wasn't the only person in the room. She quickly relaxed and turned away from him. The girl who had brought her to class stood by a desk which she informed her kindly was Kikyo's. Kagome walked towards it, greeting students as she passed, feeling the heat of Inuyasha's gaze as he watched her sit. She put her bag on her desk, took a quick breath, then looked at Inuyasha. His eyes narrowed at her and he moved as if to stand, making her panic. Was he coming over here? No! He would completely blow her cover!

But before Inuyasha could even leave his chair the bell rang and the teacher wasted no time jumping into a lecture on politics that only he was excited about. Kagome exhaled in relief as Inuyasha sat back down. Then he glanced back at her and one look at his face told her she wasn't in the clear yet.

Oh, boy. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Class ended and Kagome did the very best she could to escape before Inuyasha could catch up to her. She grabbed the girl who said she'd take her to her next class and all but pulled her down the hall.

"Forgive me," she said to her escort, who looked alarmed, "I just don't want to be late."

"No problem..."

With a glance over her shoulder Kagome could see that Inuyasha was right behind them. She turned and prepared to all but sprint down the hall with the other girl in tow, when Inuyasha caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

"What in the _hell_ —" he started angrily, but Kagome quickly cut him off.

"Oh, Inuyasha, good morning! I'm afraid I'm not able to talk just now, I'll be late for class."

"Late for _class_? What the hell are you talking about, late for class? You idiot, you're not even supposed to _be_ —"

Again, Kagome cut him off, trying to twist out of his grip while still looking pleasant. "Really, Inuyasha, I have to get to class, let's talk later, shall we?"

He growled in the back of his throat, but before he could say anything else Kagome's escort cleared her throat.

The girl looked back and forth between them. "Am I, um, in the way? Sh-should I just, uh, go on ahead?"

"Of course not, don't mind us," Kagome said through gritted teeth, and with a final jerk she pulled her arm free. She turned away from Inuyasha and smiled at her escort. "Please, let's continue."

The girl gave a nervous glance toward Inuyasha before complying, and Kagome followed. She glanced back once to see him following at a distance. He glared at her and she glared back. When they made it to class, Inuyasha passed by without looking at her and sat at a desk. So, apparently he was in this class, too. Fantastic.

Students filed in while Kagome's mind raced as to how, exactly, she would explain this to Inuyasha. And what's more, she knew she had another person to deal with—Kikyo had this class with Sango.

Her best friend walked in along with the teacher, cheerfully greeting classmates who were happy to see her, and took her seat not far from Kagome. The teacher began class and Kagome nonchalantly tried to catch Sango's eye. Sango yawned, tapped her pencil against her paper, cracked her neck, glanced around the room, and finally looked at Kagome. Kagome wasn't bothering to hide—her plan all along had been to tell Sango. Avoiding her other friends would be easier since they were in a different grade, but avoiding Sango would be nearly impossible. Besides, she wouldn't be able to convince everyone by herself that she was her sister. She had promised Kikyo she wouldn't tell anyone, but there was no harm in telling one person, right?

Kagome gave Sango the same sheepish smile she had given Inuyasha. Sango's eyebrows shot up. Sango raised an eyebrow, leaning towards her and beginning to whisper loudly, "What are you—" but the teacher spotted her.

"Sango," he said, "Eager to talk? Then please read the next paragraph."

"Eh? Oh, um," Sango looked toward the front and quickly stood. She began reading the next paragraph in their textbook aloud, shooting a puzzled look at Kagome over her book between sentences. Kagome turned the other direction, trying not to make it obvious to anyone else that something was weird. Unfortunately, sitting a couple seats away on her other side was Inuyasha, who was still glaring at her. She turned away from him as well and decided it was safest to just stare at the back of the head in front of her.

Halfway through class the teacher sat behind his desk and let the students quietly work on the assignment he'd just given them. Kagome shut her book and walked up to the teacher's desk.

The teacher looked up. "You have a question, Kikyo?"

"Forgive me, sir, but I simply need to use the restroom,” Kagome said.

"In the middle of class? Can't this wait until after?"

"I'm afraid not. Sorry, sir."

"Very well."

"And I'm sorry to further bother you, but you see I've lost my contacts," Kagome explained this in a slightly louder voice than was really necessary so that she could be sure the first few rows of students could hear. That would save her some time re-explaining it later. "I'm quite unable to see properly without them. Would it be too much if I asked to bring someone with me to make sure I find my way?" She thought she heard a scoff from Inuyasha's direction, but kept focused on the teacher. "May I take Sango with me?"

The teacher asked no more questions and merely said, "Sango, come here, please."

Sango, who had been watching the exchange from her seat with interest, came forward.

"Sango, Kikyo's lost her contacts—help her get to the bathroom, will you?"

"Sure, no problem."

As soon as they were a safe distance from the classroom, Sango rounded on her with a smile. "So what's this? You and Kikyo playing pranks on the teachers and switching places? I never thought Kikyo would be the kind of person to go for that."

"Heh, she's not, she has no idea."

"No idea? How can that be, is she out sick?

"Nope; Kikyo's left town. She's headed up to Hokkaido today."

"Left town? What for? Surprise vacation?"

Kagome smiled wearily. "Just wait until you hear this." When Sango gave her a quizzical look, Kagome said, "Not here, though."

Kagome let Sango lead the way to the bathroom, where Kagome checked every stall to make sure no one else was around. Then she took a deep breath and spewed out everything that had happened the previous night. It included some pacing back and forth, almost slipping on a puddle on the floor, and a lot of heavy breathing when she was done. Glad to have confided in someone else, she went to one of the sinks and leaned over it. She blinked at herself in the mirror, almost startled to see Kikyo looking back at her. It unnerved her. She turned her back to the reflection.

Sango still stood in the doorway, being unable to go any further before Kagome had unloaded on her. Now she stared at Kagome with wide eyes, trying to process what had just been said. After a minute, she put a hand to her forehead. "So...so...she’s being stalked."

"Yep." Kagome said, leaning back against the sink, suddenly tired.

"So you think that guy yesterday...?"

"Has to be."

Sango came to lean against a sink as well, arms crossed. She bit her thumb in concentration. "Wow."

"Mm-hmm."

"And she just dealt with it herself all this time? Why didn't she tell anyone? How long's this been going?"

"I dunno. She didn't say."

Sango turned to look at Kagome. "And you're pretending to be Kikyo why?"

Kagome sighed, nudging a piece of paper towel on the ground with her shoe. "The reason Kikyo left so suddenly was partly to keep this Onigumo guy off her trail. So maybe there's a chance he doesn't know she's gone yet, right? I guess I thought if I pretended to be Kikyo, even just for a couple days, it might keep him from bothering her in Sapporo too soon. It probably won't work, and if he's watching closer than we think he might already know she's gone. But there's no way to know for sure, so I want to do this for a little while, to help how I can."

"But Kagome, what if he does think you're Kikyo and he comes after you?"

Kagome shook her head. "Kikyo said he wouldn't hurt her, so I don't think I'll be in danger. He might send me some creepy letters or something, but...I still want to give Kikyo some time where she doesn't have to worry about him for a little bit." She turned to Sango. "Will you help me, Sango?"

"Of course I will. As weird as this is, you know I will. Besides, sounds like it could be fun." They smiled at each other. "You know, though, this whole 'becoming Kikyo' thing seems a bit counterproductive to what we were doing before, doesn't it?"

"You're telling me. Not much to do about it now, though."

"Yeah. So what's 'Kagome' up to today?"

"Guess she's out sick. It's probably the flu—she might be out the rest of the week. At least that's what we'll tell everyone."

In the hall, the bell rang and they realized they'd been gone far longer than they should have been. They pushed away from the sinks and Sango asked, "So what are you going to do about archery club?"

Kagome shrugged. "Claim I can't aim without contacts. I'll milk that excuse as long as I can. The tough one is going to be Inuyasha."

"Ooh, yeah. What are you going to tell him?"

She sighed. "I have no idea. Please, just help me avoid him until I can think of something."

"You got it."

* * *

Avoiding him was far easier said than done. The more Kagome avoided him, the more annoyed Inuyasha seemed to become, which just made him all the more determined. With Sango's help Kagome was able to give him the slip a few times, but he knew where all her classes were, and Kagome had to book it out of class if she wanted to disappear before he got there.

Lunch was tricky, and Kagome ended up hiding out in a janitor's closet for most of it while Sango wandered around the halls, hoping to lead Inuyasha astray. The bell rang while Kagome was in there, and she exited the closet only to realize she didn't know where Kikyo's next class was. She smacked herself in the forehead and went back into the closet to wait out the period. It was probably the first time in Kikyo's academic history that she had ditched class. Whoops.

She sat on a mop bucket in the dark, smelling the musty smell of cleaner and damp cloth while she contemplated how she had gotten to that point in her life. She left a few minutes before she thought the bell would ring again. Luckily, Kagome knew that Sango had gym after lunch. She headed straight there, stowing away behind the door when the bell rang. When Sango passed by Kagome grabbed her, making Sango scream before clapping a hand over her mouth.

"There you are!" Sango whispered. "Are you trying to scare me to death?"

"Sorry!"

The two straightened, glanced around to make sure no one had seen "Kikyo" being very un-Kikyo-like, then started down the hall.

Sango said quietly as they went, "Sorry I didn't come back to get you from the closet. I ran into Miroku and had to shake him before Inuyasha could catch up to me. That guy is the most persistent person I think I've ever met. He's like a blood hound—he can sniff you out of anywhere."

"Miroku or Inuyasha?"

"Both, actually. Although I was talking about Inuyasha."

"Geeze. I really just need to think of something to say to him."

"Well, think fast, because it's only a matter of time before he finds us again."

"Yeah..."

They had made it back to the fourth floor, and both went on high alert, aware that Inuyasha could show up anytime. But the boy whom Kagome saw coming towards her down the hall was someone very different.

"Sango," Kagome hissed. "Ahead of us."

Sango looked up. "Is that Hojo?" It was. The tall second year sauntered down the hall, cheerful as always, flashing a handsome smile to passersby. Kagome had once loved to see that smile, but right now it was the last thing she wanted to see. Hojo had known her long enough he might see past her Kikyo disguise.

"What's he doing up here?" Kagome said.

"Do you think he'll recognize you?" Sango asked.

"Maybe.”

"What do we do? He's coming right at us—ack!"

Kagome pulled Sango through the nearest door, which happened to be the same girl's bathroom they’d talked secretly in that morning.

Sango put her hands on her hips. "I have a feeling we're going to spend a lot of time in here."

Kagome threw her hands up in the air. "All this running is ridiculous! I'm going to know the bathrooms, janitors closets, and side hallways better than anyone else in the school at this rate!"

"Seriously. Who would have thought you'd ever reach the point where you had to run from the guy you like because you're dressed up like your sister who's being stalked by a criminal? Brings a whole new meaning to romantic teenage drama."

Kagome put her face to the cool brick wall with a groan. "This is not how I wanted this to go. I've been running from him all day! And how creepy is it that I'm pretending to be his girlfriend? This is so weird..."

"Girlfriend?" Sango said, looking at her nails. "Whatever do you mean? I was talking about Hojo."

Kagome pulled away from the wall to glare at Sango. Sango grinned, and Kagome didn't have to look in the mirror to know her cheeks were a bit pink. "You're terrible."

"Sticks and stones."

"Whatever. He's probably gone by now, right? Let's go." Kagome swung the door open wide and walked out, Sango giggling behind her.

"Hey, Kagome."

Kagome spun around at the voice, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. Leaning against the wall by the bathroom door was Inuyasha, his arms crossed. He looked down at her icily. "How's it goin'?"

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Sango muttered.

Kagome turned and looked at the students milling about. She wanted to run, but she knew that Kikyo sprinting down the hall _away_ from her boyfriend was something that would definitely draw attention. The running was over. Dang it.

Inuyasha pushed off the wall and stepped toward her. "We need to talk, Kagome."

"Shh!" she said fiercely. "Don't call me that."

His eye twitched. "Why not, that's your _name,_ idiot. Care to explain what the heck you think you're doing?"

Kagome kept her voice low, trying not to be overheard by the students passing them. "Well, uh, you see it's kind of complicated..." What in the heck was she supposed to tell him?

"Try me. I'm not as dumb as you think." Inuyasha wasn't bothering to keep his voice down at all and Kagome looked around again nervously.

"No, that's not it..."

"What is it, then? This some kind of a sick joke? Are you trying to mess with me? If so, it's not funny, Kagome."

"No! It's not, it's, uh..." Dang it, she had no idea what to say to him. She looked at Sango, who looked back as if to say, "I've got nothing." Kagome turned back to Inuyasha's stern face. She thought about how upset he had been the previous day, and she could only imagine that beneath his frustration he was sad. He deserved the truth, which she couldn't give him.

She cleared her throat. "Well, you see, uh, it's kind of a funny story...I, uh, lost a bet, so I—"

"Liar."

"Umm, it's this new experiment I'm doing on facial recognition—"

"Yeah right."

"Would you believe she asked me to do this?"

"Is that a question or is that your excuse?"

"Uh..."

"Enough, just _out_ with it! Why are you acting like this? What’s going on?” His voice was escalating and Kagome looked around in worry before glaring up at him.

"Didn't I say to keep it _down_?" she snapped.

"Why should I?"

" _Because_ , you idiot, I said so!"

"That's about all you've said! Quit avoiding the subject!"

"I'm not, _you're_ just being difficult!" People were beginning to look.

"Don't act like _I'm_ the one at fault here when _you're_ the one who's—" Inuyasha cut off when Kagome suddenly grabbed him by the front of the shirt, yanked open the door to the girl's bathroom, and disappeared inside along with him.

Sango looked at the closed door before turning to the confused students around her. "Nothing to see here, folks, don't mind them! Move along!" Then she, too, went into the bathroom.

"What is this," Inuyasha was saying inside, "Sexual harassment?"

"Grr, will you just be cooperative for one second!" Kagome had stopped trying to be quiet in the safety of the bathroom.

"I told you we'd be here a lot..." Sango said, but neither of them paid her any attention.

"Cooperative to _what_? You haven't told me anything! As far as I know you just get off on the fact that Kikyo's gone so you can take her place!"

"Well maybe I do! Maybe I'm sick of being 'Junior', you ever think of that?"

"So you're going to _be_ her? You think that'll fix your inferiority complex? Yeah, right! That's about the most pathetic thing I've ever heard!"

Kagome flinched and Sango said to Inuyasha with a frown, "Whoa, hey now, watch it..."

Kagome snapped back, "So what if it is, you stupid jerk?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Don't be such an idiot! Do you seriously think that'll work for you?"

"It's none of your business, ok?"

"You think you can _pull off_ being Kikyo anyway?"

"I said it's none of your business!"

"That's idiotic, even for you, Kagome!"

Emotion was sneaking into Kagome's voice, which just made her even more angry. "Shut up! Just leave me alone in my pathetic ways then!"

"I'd love to, but I can't exactly when you're going around impersonating _my_ girlfriend, now, can I? Or did you forget about that?"

"Your girlfriend who _left_ you! And why not since you're such a _jerk_!"

Inuyasha looked like he'd been slapped and Kagome immediately clapped her mouth shut. Inuyasha's face darkened and he looked as though he were withdrawing into himself.

Kagome extended a hand toward him. "I...I didn't mean—"

But he cut her off. "Fine. I'll leave you to your stupid plans. See if I care." Then he brushed past her, shaking her off when she reached for his sleeve.

"Wait, Inuyasha, I didn't mean—come back! Inuyasha!"

But he slammed the door open and stalked down the hall way. A few students who were still standing outside gaped after him, then turned to Kagome. Kagome saw their wide eyes watching her before the door swung shut once again. As it did the bell rang.

* * *

Inuyasha didn't come to school the next day. Or the next. Kagome told herself he was probably just taking time to process, just getting over some things. But of course her mind then went to the worst possible scenario, and she would look at his empty seat in class and wonder if he'd decided to vent his anger by picking a fight with some gang all by himself. He was just the kind of idiot who would do that, and she was afraid she'd find out later he was hospitalized or something. She'd kill him if he was.

They had never fought that badly before. Bickered, sure, had a few brief arguments over this or that, totally. But it had never become so personal. Usually they'd blow off steam at each other, and by the next time they ran into one another they were over it. She wondered now if he could forgive her that easily this time.

Other than worrying about Inuyasha, Kagome felt like she was beginning to settle into her role as Kikyo. It seemed her classmates weren't as close to the cool and intelligent Kikyo as they liked to believe, because no one challenged her on her identity. Not even Kikyo's fellow class representative noticed, and with a little blush he told her he'd keep up with the work until she got new contacts. A couple students asked about Inuyasha, but no one dared pry, so if anyone was gossiping it wasn't when she was around.

Sango was a great lookout for Kagome at school, and she even helped do Kikyo's homework, since half the time Kagome had no idea what she was supposed to do with it. Kagome was extremely grateful for the assistance and promised to buy Sango's lunches far into the foreseeable future.

Kagome's family had no idea what their daughter was up to. Eri did call one time, asking how Kagome was feeling since she had been out sick and whether or not she'd be able to come to the drama competition. That confused Grandpa for a few minutes until Kagome could snatch the phone away from him. Other than that, Kagome just minded her own, well, Kikyo's business, keeping an eye out all the while for strangers watching her from the shadows or strange letters left in her locker or the mailbox. So far, she had seen nothing, and she hoped that was a good sign.

Friday rolled around, and Kagome was ecstatic that she had a weekend coming up where she didn't have to pretend to be anyone else. The late August sky was rather gray and the rain seemed to turn on and off throughout the day, dampening the field and kicking up the smell of wet concrete on the sidewalks. Kagome said goodbye to her peers in her last class and headed down the stairs. She stood inside the school doors, watching the raindrops slide down the glass before carefully examining the street just beyond the school wall. No dark looming figures stood there, only the umbrellas of fellow students going home. She pulled her umbrella out of her bag and opened it up, stepping out into the cool, wet air and following the crowd out the school gates.

The further Kagome got from the school, the less students there were around, and she let herself relax. She stretched her arms and cracked her neck, thinking how on earth Kikyo was so stiff all the time. She twirled the umbrella handle in her palm and tilted it back so a few droplets could fall on her cheeks.

She wondered how Kikyo was doing. Apparently Kikyo was allowed to call home once a month, so they wouldn’t hear from her for a while. She wondered if Kikyo had received any notes or letters from Onigumo. She wondered if she was missing Inuyasha yet.

Kagome thought, _I hope you know what you're doing, Kikyo. I hope you're not putting Inuyasha through this for nothing. Or me, for that matter._

She was five minutes from home when she saw a tall man ahead of her. She paused for a second, as she did when she saw any man on the street these days, but there was no reason to fear. His back was to her, but there was no mistaking him—it was Inuyasha. He was in jeans and a red t-shirt, the rain falling steadily on him and soaking him through, but he didn't seem to notice. He turned out of sight a few blocks ahead of her.

Had he stopped by her house? Perhaps to be all melancholy in the rain and gaze up at the Higurashi household that no longer housed Kikyo. There was no reason to go after him. He'd be thinking all about Kikyo right now. He’d tell her to leave him alone.

She continued walking. As she went her pace picked up steadily, until she was suddenly running, the wind and rain whipping under her umbrella and landing on her hair and face.

* * *

Inuyasha kicked at a rock on the street only to have it land in a puddle. Shame. He'd kicked that rock around for the last three blocks. At least it had given him something to do.

He looked down at the river to the side of him. The street he was on was lined on one side by brick walls and houses, and on the opposite side the river ran by in its concrete bed. Right now, the water looked angry from mud and rain and it flowed quicker than usual. A short bridge of brick and metal hung in the air a few yards away from him. Not that the bridge was really needed—Inuyasha could easily jump across. He'd done it before when he was younger, when he was trying to outrun a bigger kid and didn't have time to get to the bridge.

He stood at the river's bank and eyed the other side, letting the muscles in his legs tense up before he jumped. The concrete slope was slick with rain and he almost slipped before he caught the edge, pulling himself up. He looked down into the water before he rolled his eyes at his own sense of accomplishment. How stupid. It was just a dumb river.

He wiped the rain drops dripping down his face with the back of his hand, which was pointless since he was wet all over. He crossed the pavement to a cinderblock wall and slumped against it, sliding down to the ground. On the other side of the wall was a small house, and he could smell someone's dinner cooking. The family would probably be gathering around the table to eat together about now.

A pang of hunger rumbled in his stomach but ignored it, staring instead at the gray river, the gray rain, and the gray walls around him. He forgot he hadn't eaten today—he'd left early in order to avoid his brother and had been wandering around since then. It had been a boring day; he hadn't even found anyone to pick a fight with. Oh, well. He'd hang around until after dark, then head home. By then Sesshomaru would have already been home and locked himself away in his office and Inuyasha wouldn’t have to deal with him.

He would probably have to go back to school on Monday. If not, the school might call Sesshomaru, wondering where Inuyasha was. Sesshomaru would probably say he didn't know nor care where his half-brother was, but Inuyasha didn't want the school to call him anyway. He hated being associated with his brother, and Sesshomaru hated it even more. They avoided it as much as possible.

Suck. He seriously didn't want to go. He hated school. He hated his stupid uniform. He hated the idiots who whispered behind his back. It hadn't been so bad for a while, with Kikyo there. Then he'd become less known as "Inuyasha, the bad boy" and more known as "Inuyasha, Kikyo's bad-boy boyfriend, who must for some reason be cool, otherwise why would Kikyo date him?" Whatever. They were a bunch of idiots, anyway.

Maybe they had a point, though. He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back on the wall, letting the raindrops fall on his face. He and Kikyo, from as different backgrounds as could be possible, had found they were not so different. In fact, they were quite similar in some ways. But had that not been enough?

“Just separated for a while,” she had said, “then I’ll come back.”

But would she? He couldn't stop the suspicious, gnawing thought in the back of his mind that she had just been trying to avoid hurting his feelings. She was gone for good. She'd just left him. Like everyone else who had ever mattered in his life. Why should she stick around? Kagome was probably right.

Kagome.

If he and Kikyo were from different backgrounds, then Kagome must have been from a different planet. A different dimension. Some far, distant future that he didn't understand. But she had just kind of...always been there. He'd gotten used to her popping up and being annoying and smiling at him. Since he'd been with Kikyo, lots of people had tried befriending him, but he had seen right through their shallow pretenses and scared most of them off. Not Kagome. There was nothing shallow about the friendship she forced on him, and there was no scaring her off. She was some kind of cheerful, quick to anger, resilient alien or something.

Not anymore, though. Kikyo was gone, and now he'd lose Kagome. Why should Kagome put up with him if Kikyo wasn't around? She had no reason to. They always ended up arguing, anyway. So he'd give her what she was also probably too nice to say she wanted—for him to go away.

Even if he was insanely curious as to what in the heck she thought she was doing, pretending she was Kikyo. He hadn't been to school the last few days, and he wondered if she was still trying to keep it up. Did she seriously have a big-sister complex? No way. She never acted like she did before. But, then, what did he know about people? And unlike Kikyo, Kagome was just so…complicated.

Whatever. He should just forget about her. Especially after their fight the other day, there was no way she'd want to talk to him now. Great. Looks like it was going to be back to the way it had always been for him—just him. No one else. At least he knew how to live that way already. It was a cold but familiar feeling.

Quick footsteps cut through the downpour of rain, and Inuyasha opened his eyes and lazily turned to see who it was. Then he jerked his head upright in order to better stare.

Kagome of all people stopped in front of him, breathing heavy. She was in her uniform, her school bag in one hand, an umbrella held aloft in the other. It didn't look like it had done her any good—her hair was falling out around her face in wet strands, and her blazer was a darker shade on the shoulders and the front where the rain had soaked through.

What the hell? Did she have some kind of strange sixth sense that told her when someone was thinking about her? How unnerving. What in the heck was she doing here, in the opposite direction of home?

They stared at each other for a minute, with nothing but the rain and her heavy breathing breaking the silence. Then he asked dumbly, "What are you doing here?"

She crouched down in front of him, holding her umbrella out so it was over his head. She smiled at him softly. "Did I startle you? I'm sorry—I'm not Kikyo."

He snorted. "I know that. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you. I'm glad I found you." Then she sat against the wall beside him, holding her umbrella over the both of them. She looked out at the river in front of them for a minute before turning to him. "Are you angry?"

He realized he was probably glaring at her in confusion. "No."

She nodded, then looked back out to the river. He followed suit, still half watching her out of the corner of his eye, but not sure what to do next.

"I'm sorry," she said.

He turned back to her fully and she met his gaze. "What?"

"I'm sorry for being angry and saying that Kikyo left because of you. It's not true. I was just mad. It wasn't your fault at all—and she'll be back, so you don't have to worry."

She was apologizing? What for? Hadn't he been the one to get angry first? Not that he hadn't been justified—she had been acting like a lunatic, pretending to be Kikyo. But still. Why was she out here apologizing to him? He watched a stray droplet slide from her hairline down the side of her face and drop onto her wet jacket. Had she been running around out here in the rain just to find him?

"Why are you apologizing?" he asked.

"Because that's what you do when you feel sorry,” she said simply.

"Ha, well, don't go out of your way on my account. Kikyo's not around, so you don't have to bother yourself."

She frowned. "So, what, I'm not allowed to be friends with you anymore?"

"What? That's not what I said." He looked down at her. "You...still want to be friends with me?"

She scoffed. "And why shouldn't I? I'm not going to stop being friends with you just because Kikyo's gone.” She paused, and then asked more timidly, "If that’s ok with you?”

He thought she was kidding, but one look in her brown eyes told him she was being honest. She was sitting on the wet ground, holding her umbrella over him—which was pointless since he was soaked already—almost soaked herself, and she had to be tired and cold from running in the rain. Running after _him_ in the rain. She was serious, and she was waiting for an answer.

So she wasn't going away? He still had one person left? Who wouldn't walk around him when they passed him in school? Who wouldn't leave, despite the idiotic things he said and his tendency to pick a fight with her? Who smiled at him without fail whenever she saw him?

He turned away from her, not wanting her to see his face. "Whatever. Do what you want."

Out of his peripheral he saw her smile. Then she looked ahead as well, and said nothing else. They sat like that for a while, Kagome's umbrella over their heads, the sound of the rain around them. And Inuyasha thought that for a few minutes that the air felt a little less cold than it had before.

* * *


	4. The Woman In Red

May – Four months before the present

"Is this seriously happening right now?" Yuka said from where they stood at the edge of the crowd. The hallway at the base of the stairwell was packed with students. No one seemed to be moving forward, and those at the back of the crowd looked at each other, wondering why they couldn't get to the stairs. "What's happened?" Yuka asked. "The frogs from the science lab escape again?"

"Gah! This can't be happening!" Kagome exclaimed, pulling on her hair. "We don't have time for this! We'll miss the quiz!"

Yuka gave her a lidded look. "Well, if _someone_ didn't keep dozing off during class, then _maybe_ it wouldn't be a big deal..."

"Erk! That was one time! But that's not the point! The point is I can't miss another quiz! Come on!" Kagome pulled Yuka into the crowd, using her bag as a shield as she wadded through her peers. Several people looked at her in surprise but she ignored them.

As they neared the stairs, they heard angry voices shouting back and forth. The closer they got the more insults they could hear, and Kagome cocked her head when she thought she recognized one of them.

"I _said_ get out of my waybefore I _make_ you move!"

Yep. There was no mistaking that angry voice.

She shoved aside one last kid before they made it to the front of the crowd. The students formed a circle around the base of the stairs, leaving plenty of space so they would be out of the way. Inuyasha stood in the center of the circle, scowling at a tall boy with a long ponytail. The boy stood in front of the stairs, one hand leaning against the wall and blocking Inuyasha's path. Behind him several other boys lounged on the stairs, their legs stretched in the way. Some of them sniggered while others looked down on Inuyasha in distaste.

"Yell all you want, you whining sack of crap," the boy said, looking down his nose at Inuyasha. "But I told you, you're not getting up these stairs. You know full well you're not welcome on this side of the school!"

Inuyasha's fists clenched and unclenched in anger. "You spoiled brat, last I checked you don't own this side of the school! Get the _hell_ out of my way before I land you in the hospital!"

The boy put a hand to his face and feigned a look of fear. "Oh, my, you hear that? The hospital! Inuyasha's kind of a meanie—are we scared?" The response from his friends behind him was a lot of booing and some foul gestures, and the boy turned back to Inuyasha with a sneer. "Oh, yeah, that's right. No, we're not."

Kagome leaned toward Yuka. "Who is that guy?"

Yuka whispered back, "His name's Koga, he's a third year. Those guys with him are on the soccer team."

"Isn't anyone going to get a teacher or something?"

The girl on Kagome's other side answered, "Someone went to get the vice principle already."

Great. The vice principle was a short and portly man, whom most people completely overlooked in the hall by accident. By the time he got here, there would probably already be blood. Kagome glanced around. Where was Kikyo? She was the student body president, not to mention the only one Inuyasha listened to. It didn't look like anyone else in the crowd was about to step in, either.

Koga pushed off the wall, crossing his arms. "We're not like the rest of the cowards at this school, Inuyasha. Your cute little fists and growls won't bother us. And don't think that just because you're dating Kikyo Higurashi that somehow makes you one of _us_. Slink back to your corner, where you belong, dog."

There was some murmuring among the crowd, and someone said loudly, "Yeah, go back where you came from!" Kagome turned, but didn't see who had said it.

Inuyasha ignored the crowd behind him. His nose wrinkled and his knuckles cracked. "One of _you_? I'd rather have my eyeballs pulled out and eaten than ever want to be one of you pathetic fools. You think you're so much better than me, with your money and your friends, but I bet I can mess you up so bad your daddy won't recognize you. C'mere, I'll get started..."

"Ooh, I'm scared now. The tough guy's gonna get me! Please. Bring it on. Although I can't mess you up any worse than you already are—I didn't know Kikyo was _blind_."

Inuyasha lunged forward to grab Koga by the front of the shirt. "Leave her out of this."

Oh, boy, this was going to come to blows any second now. Kagome looked around. Really, was _no one_ else going to do anything to stop this? Kagome felt her anger building. These idiots were backing everyone up for _this_? Morons! Didn't they know this was a _school_ and Kagome had a quiz to take?

"How adorable," Koga mocked, "Lover-boy over here's getting all defensive over his girl! What's the matter, don't like me talking about her? It's not my fault she's not as smart as everyone thinks. Can't be if she's dating _you._ "

In the blink of an eye Inuyasha's fist was flying at Koga's face. He landed one solidly on Koga's jaw, but Koga was quickly recovered and threw his own punch, knocking Inuyasha back. The crowed gasped in excitement and surprise, backing away from Inuyasha spat to the side, a spot of blood on his chin before he grinned. Before he could lunge forward again, he found himself being yanked in the opposite direction by his ear. After the initial shock he spun around, only to find Kagome glaring up at him. He blinked once before turning furious. " What in the _hell_ do you think you're—"

"What do you think you're doing?" Kagome yelled over him. "Stop fighting! Someone will get hurt!"

"Get out of my way, idiot!" he yelled back.

"You're the idiot! You're keeping all these people from class for this stupid argument? About _what_? Nothing!"

"This has nothing to do with you, moron! Butt out!"

"This has everything to do with me! _You're_ making _me_ late with your stupid picking fights and being a jerk! This is _your_ fault!" She poked him hard in the chest and he made an offended expression. She was aware of a few nervous gasps from the crowd at her audacity to yell at Inuyasha, and whispers of, “Is that Kikyo? No, can’t be. Must be the other one.”

Koga threw his head back and laughed. "See, Inuyasha? Everyone’s against you. Might as well give up and—"

Kagome rounded on him. "And you!" Koga froze mid-laugh, Kagome's finger in his face. "Who do you think you are, causing all this trouble?"

"Me? Don't be stupid, girl, he's the one—"

She cut him off, hands on her hips. "Who's the one blocking the stairs and acting all high and mighty? Look at all these people, they're late because of you!" She took a step forward and he hesitantly took one back. "Ganging up on someone like that, you think that's brave? Don't think you're any less guilty than he is!" She turned from him in irritation, crossing her arms. "Seriously, this is an institution for education, you idiots can't just go around bothering everyone with your personal disagreements. Next time, take it outside, you got that?...I said, you _got that_?"

Koga looked down at her, dumfounded and blushing, and nodded once. Inuyasha shook off his surprise and said, "Huh, who do you think you are, acting like you're our mom and bossing—Hey, what the hell!"

Kagome was pushing him from behind toward the stairs. "Let's go! You first, so you won't cause more trouble." Kagome peeked from behind Inuyasha at the boys sitting on the stairs. They looked up at her, unsure what to do, flinching under her glare.

"Fools!" Koga snapped at them, grabbing the nearest one and yanking him off the stair. "You heard the lady! Move aside!"

The soccer team scrambled to get out of the way and Kagome stalked past them, pushing Inuyasha before her. He wasn't happy about it, and he snapped his teeth at one of the boys they passed, making him jump. They were almost to the third floor when Inuyasha finally wormed out of Kagome's grasp.

"All right, already, quit with the shoving!" He straightened his jacket, glaring at her. She ignored his anger and continued up the stairs. This guy was ridiculous. She had been trying to be his friend the last couple weeks, but he sure made it difficult. She always waved and said hi, but he would only give her a look like she had lost a few marbles. She could only assume there was more to him than met the eye, otherwise why would Kikyo waste her time? Somewhere, deep, deep down, there was something good about Inuyasha. Kagome would just have to keep looking for it. Although right now it was kind of difficult.

She ignored his aggravated tone as he followed after her, saying, "What the heck did you think you were doing, butting in? Stupid girls shouldn't get in the way of fights between men."

"Men? What men?" Kagome put her nose in the air. "I only saw two foolish boys."

"Grr, you are the most obnoxious person I've ever met!"

"I was just helping you!"

" _Helping_? I didn't need your help! I could have taken all of those guys!"

"Don't be so arrogant! Not only would they have beat you, the teachers would have showed up, and then you'd be in serious trouble! How about just saying thank you for once, you jerk?" Kagome turned through a doorway to the hall beyond. He stomped after her.

"Thank you for what? For being such a holy pain in the—" He cut off when she spun around, hands on her hips, frowning up at him. He flinched, preparing to be hit, which shocked Kagome. Was hit so often he was even afraid of her?

"Are you hurt?" she demanded.

"Oh, yeah, well you’re the one—what?"

"Your _face_ ," she spoke more loudly, as if he were hard of hearing. "Does it _hurt_?"

"Please. That guy hits exactly how you'd think a pansy with a ponytail would hit. I let him get one in, is all. It's not a good fight if you win right away."

"You liar, I saw him! He nearly knocked you right on your butt!"

"Shut up!"

Kagome rolled her eyes and grabbed a piece of his hair, ignoring his squabbling and pulling his face down to hers so she could inspect it. Beneath his eye the skin was turning a maroonish purple. No doubt it would be solidly black for the next few days. She reached up and touched it gently. "Look, you're already getting a black eye!"

He smacked her hand away and pulled back. "Shut up, I said I don't need your help, didn't I?" He turned away quickly and she raised her eyebrows. Was that a blush she saw across his cheeks? Had she embarrassed him? Had she gotten a little too close? No, couldn't be. His face must have already been red from fighting all morning. Rough and tough Inuyasha didn't _blush_. She stepped closer again, inspecting his face. He shifted uncomfortably and stepped back. She pursed her lips, biting back a startled laugh.

"Fine. Put some ice on it later, then. Kikyo can get you some from the nurse's office so you don't get in trouble if the nurse asks questions." She turned away. "I don't know why I even bother worrying about you."

" _I_ never asked you to worry.”

She sighed. "See? You're always a jerk to me anyway."

"What? I am not!"

She rubbed her temples. "Ugh, you..."

Yuka reached the top of the stairs then, breathing heavy. Behind her, more students were hurrying up the stairs. "Kagome! Oh, uh—" Yuka stopped when she saw Inuyasha, not sure what to do then. She neared Kagome after a second, avoiding looking at him. "Kagome, we have to hurry, there's only a minute before—"

The bell rang.

"Ack!" Kagome gasped. "The quiz! Come on, Yuka!" She grabbed Yuka's hand and took off. Students rushed to their classes, parting on either side of Inuyasha and wondering why he was just standing there uncomfortably.

::::

* * *

August – Present

Sango's morning routine generally consisted of waking up at the crack of dawn, sweeping out the martial arts dojo, and then practicing. Kohaku, her twelve-year-old brother, would wander through the dojo doors a little while later. He would stretch in the corner, yawning all the while, before Sango wanted him to spar with her. She always went easy on him—Kohaku was sick enough without her accidentally flipping him across the room. She was the one who made him get up and practice every morning; she was convinced that strengthening his body would help him be less sick all the time. Her father agreed, although he didn't push Kohaku to do it himself—he worried too much.

Her father, Masahiko "Masa" Tanaka, was already in the kitchen when she finished showering, wearing his wife's old apron and hovering over a pot of rice on the stove.

"Ah, good morning, Sango," he said.

"Good morning," Sango greeted. Her father sat down at the table and Sango took her own apron off a hook on the wall. All the vegetables and ingredients for breakfast were already laid out very neatly on the counter, and she got right to work preparing them. After his wife had passed away three years ago, Masa had tried to pick up the slack in the kitchen, but found he wasn't much of a cook. Sango eventually saved herself and Kohaku from his terrible cooking by taking over, but Masa still liked to help, and Sango allowed him to do all the preparations in the morning for her.

"You have softball practice today?" her father asked as he opened up the letters from the mail.

"Yep. I'll be home a little after six."

"All right. And don't forget Kohaku has his appointment at the hospital tomorrow—I'll need you home early to take over the beginner's class for me so I can take him."

"Sure thing. Is it just a checkup this time?" Her father didn't respond, and she paused in cutting her cucumbers to look at him. "Dad?"

He glanced at her from the letter he was reading intently. "Hmm? Oh. Yes. It is." He put the letter on the table and scratched the scruff on his chin, looking worn out.

"What's wrong? Another bill?"

"A letter from Mr. Naraku."

Sango frowned. "Him again? Didn't we tell him that we were working on getting the money? What's he want now?"

"He needs it sooner."

"What!" Sango brought her knife down on the lettuce, chopping it in half with a bang. " _Sooner_? We're going as fast as we can!"

"We're in debt, Sango—this is the way loans work. And unfortunately the dojo isn't doing as well as it could be."

In the past, their dojo had been a well-respected school for martial artists. But times were changing, and other, flashier dojos had been built in Tokyo. The Tanaka dojo had history and tradition behind it, which still drew a few students, but not enough. Especially when there were Kohaku's medicines to pay for, and the debt left behind from their mother's medical bills. The debt seemed to just keep piling up.

Shortly after their mother had died, Kohaku had been hospitalized again. Masa had been desperate for the money to help his son, and when Mr. Naraku had stepped in and offered them the money, he had taken it, promising to do whatever he could to pay Mr. Naraku back later. It became apparent, however, that in Masa's desperation he had allied himself with a dishonest loan shark. Now the whole family was paying the price.

"Can't Uncle Hiriki help out again?" Sango asked hopefully.

Masa shook his head. "I can't ask him, not again. Shima just had her baby, and he's struggling enough as it is." Masa looked up at his worried daughter and smiled. "I'm sorry, Sango. I shouldn't be bothering my daughter with such things—you're too young to have to worry about this. But! Don't you worry, my dear! We'll figure this out. Everything will be all right." He looked toward a picture hanging on the wall of a beautiful woman with a bright smile. "Isn't that right, my love?"

Kohaku's footsteps could be heard coming down the hall then, and the two of them turned back to their respective activities as though nothing were wrong.

"Morning, dad!" Kohaku greeted, sitting down at the table.

"Morning, son. How are you feeling this morning?"

"Pretty good. I think I'll walk to school today rather than take the bus."

"Yeah? Well, in _my_ day we didn't even have the option of taking the bus. Everybody walked."

"Yeah, and in your day Samurai still roamed the streets," Sango said, putting a bowl of food in front of Kohaku.

"Sango!" Masa put a hand to his chest. "You hurt me."

"How old are you, dad?" Kohaku asked, trying to sound uninterested.

"I'll never tell!" Masa said proudly.

Sango and Kohaku rolled their eyes. It was an ongoing joke that Masa wouldn't disclose his age. Once when Sango and Kohaku were younger, they had scoured the house in search of anything that would give away Masa's age, but discovered that their mother had hidden all such documents. She had laughed and told them they'd never know! Then she had taken the secret to her grave.

"Here, kiddo," Sango said, putting a handful of pills in Kohaku's palm. "Eat up."

Kohaku made a face at the assortment of medicine, before obediently swallowing them. The family ate their breakfast and packed their lunches, and Masa headed to the dojo to open it up for his morning class.

Sango and Kohaku left and walked a ways together, enjoying the morning. The earth was clean and green after the rain over the weekend, and it would still be a couple months before the leaves started changing colors of fall.

"You'll be all right the rest of the way?" Sango asked when split up.

Kohaku smiled, his freckles standing out on his pale cheeks. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

She smiled back. "Good. See you tonight."

"Oh! I forgot to ask dad—I wanted to go to Sota's house tonight, is that ok? He got a new video game and Shippo and I want to check it out. I have to go to the doctor's tomorrow, so I can't hang out then. Pleeease?"

Sango looked at his pleading face. He was pale and skinny as always. She never could say no. "Fine. Call dad as soon as you get there!"

"I will, I will!" He was already hurrying off in the direction of his school. "See you later!"

Sango watched him go with a smile, not able to help the small bit of anxiety in her chest. Her mother had died of heart failure, and so would Kohaku if he didn't get a new one. Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of spare hearts waiting to be given away, and the ones that were around didn't come cheap. She clenched her jaw, thinking of Mr. Naraku—didn't _he_ have a heart? His probably wasn't broken, like Kohaku's was, so there was no reason for him to be so cold. If they didn't get him the money when he wanted it, the dojo would be taken, and their income and way of paying off their debts and getting Kohaku's medicine would be gone.

"It's just business," is what her father would say. That didn't keep Sango from hating the selfish man anyway.

* * *

"So," Sango asked Kagome at lunch, "Is this a thing now?"

Kagome looked up at her from her place in the grass. She was kneeling against the outside building of the archery range, a shady little spot where she guessed Kikyo might spend her lunch period. People passed by and waved and smiled at her, but none of them came to join her. She was glad that keeping up her Kikyo act was easier than she had thought it would be, but on the other hand she was becoming very lonely at school. Is this what it was always like? Kikyo studying by herself, Kikyo eating by herself, Kikyo being polite and friendly to everyone else, with no friends to show for it? Maybe that’s how Kikyo preferred it, although Kagome couldn’t imagine why.

Sango was the only person who ever stopped to talk to her. Now she stood over her, her lunch in her hand, looking down at Kagome with a curious expression.

"Is what a thing?" Kagome asked.

Sango silently nodded to the figure a few feet away. Kagome was sitting at the corner of the building, and right around on the other side was Inuyasha. He lounged back against the building, his hands behind his head and one leg propped up on the other. He faced away from Kagome, sitting nearby but not too close, and had only said that he wasn't hungry when she asked him about lunch.

Frankly, Kagome wasn't sure how to answer Sango's question. It was his first day back at school, and she wasn't entirely sure why Inuyasha was here herself, but she wasn't complaining. It helped with the Kikyo disguise. Besides, it had made her smile. She hoped it meant she was forgiven and that they could be friends again. Maybe even better ones than they had been before.

She shrugged and Sango said, "Well, ok. Anyway, I just thought I should warn you, Hojo's been talking with Eri and Yuka all morning about you."

"Oh?"

"He wants to bring you some homemade remedies his mom uses when he's sick, he thinks it'll help."

"Homemade remedies? Nothing like my Grandpa's, I hope," Kagome made a gagging face, but quickly changed her tone when two girls walked by. "Tell him he's welcome anytime. I'm sure my little sister would appreciate it."

"Right," Sango said with lidded eyes, "I'm sure she would. Especially since Ayumi and Eri agreed to take him after school. Yuka and I have practice, so we can’t go.”

"What?" Kagome hissed. "They want to come over today? No! You have to talk them out of it!"

"Can't. They've been talking about it since last week, but since it's Monday and Kagome is still home sick, they thought it'd be a good idea to go. Maybe Kikyo can talk them out of it?"

"You know I can't! They'll recognize me for sure if they talk to me! Oh, no, what should I do?"

Inuyasha's voice drifted over, "Tell them you're an idiot who's been playing house in Kikyo's life."

"Shut up! I'm not doing that!" Kagome snapped.

"Ok, then tell them why you're really doing it. Aren't they supposed to be your friends or whatever?"

"Wait," Sango cut in, looking back and forth between them. "Did you tell Inuyasha?"

Immediately Kagome stiffened. She shook her head vigorously at Sango, but already Inuyasha was sitting up and leaning around the corner towards them.

"Tell me what?" Inuyasha said with narrowed eyes. "Why you're impersonating my girlfriend and why you think it's so important that I can't know?"

Kagome laughed nervously. "Don't be silly, we already talked about this! It's just a big sister complex! I wanted to try being her, but it won't be forever."

With his eyes still narrowed he leaned back, disappearing behind the side of the building again.

Kagome gave Sango a silent look and Sango made an apologetic gesture.

"Anyway," Sango continued, "Just thought I should warn you. Sorry I can't help out."

Kagome groaned. "It's ok. Thanks, Sango. You'd better go, though."

"Yeah, ok." With another glance at Inuyasha, Sango walked off to find their friends for lunch. Kagome watched her go, a bit sad she couldn’t join her, and hoped she wouldn't have to be Kikyo for much longer.

"Who's Hobo?" Inuyasha asked a minute later.

"Huh? Oh. Hojo is a friend of mine. You've met before,” she said.

"We have?"

"A few times, yeah. You don't remember?"

He didn't answer, and she wondered if he was trying to remember, or if he had lost interest. She let him be quiet, thinking to herself about what she was going to do with her friends. They would need to see Kagome sick to be convinced, but she would have to pull that off before her mother came home today and before her grandpa saw her. Geeze, what a mess.

When lunch was over she headed back into the school with a last look at Inuyasha and the archery range a few yards away. The coach, Kaede, was there, tutoring younger students who must have been new to the club. They had bemoaned Kikyo's 'lost contacts' terribly, but it had allowed Kagome to successfully avoid having to go to practice for a while. Her lame bow skills would give her away for sure.

As she neared the school, she noticed a woman standing by the door. She was wearing a tight red pencil skirt and matching blazer. Her hair was in a loose side bun and her lips were the same blazing color as her outfit. A wooden fan in her hand tapped against her chin as she surveyed the high school students through her dark sunglasses. More than one high school boy blushed and tried to smile at her as they entered the school, but she ignored them all.

The woman obviously wasn't a teacher. Perhaps someone from administration, but that didn't seem right, either. Kagome kept her head down, trying to watch the woman out of the corner of her eye.

Then she smacked right into someone.

"Hey, there, Kikyo," Koga smiled down at her, putting a hand up against the building to block her way. "Still haven't gotten your new contacts?"

"Excuse me," Kagome said with a slight smile.

"Say, Kikyo, I've noticed your cute little sister hasn't been in school in a while. What gives, huh?"

Kagome started to roll her eyes but stopped herself. Kikyo almost never rolled her eyes. "Kagome has been out sick. Thank you for your concern."

"Out sick? Poor pup. Maybe a visit from ol' Koga will cheer her up, eh?" He gave her a wolfish grin, which Kagome just smiled at. She had become used to his wild comings and goings and flirtations. He'd taken to Kagome over the past few months for some reason, and she supposed he was nice enough, when he wasn't anywhere in the same vicinity as Inuyasha.

Kagome opened her mouth to politely tell him she, er, her little sister, was fine and needed no such thing. Before she could say anything, someone cut in front of her. She blinked up at Inuyasha’s dark hair and broad shoulders, his back mere inches from her face, making her heart jump into a sprint. Where had he come from? Had he followed her from the archery range?

Koga straightened, his expression immediately turning sour. "What gives, putz? We were just talking."

"Take your 'talking' somewhere else, jerk," Inuyasha replied, returning the scowl.

"Chill, dog breath," Koga said, pushing away from the wall. "I wasn't making a move on Kikyo. We've already decided we're not each other's type." He winked at Kagome and she couldn't help but roll her eyes that time. "Her little sister, on the other hand, is just too adorable to resist."

Inuyasha snorted. "How many times have I told you to stay away from her, dickface?"

"Since when are you Kagome's keeper, asswipe?"

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha in surprise, holding her breath. She wondered when the two of them had been talking about her alone. She wondered why Inuyasha had told Koga to stay away from her. Well, there could be a million factors, she was sure—Inuyasha hated Koga for breathing, let alone anything else. Still, she couldn't help the twinge in her chest, no matter how she tried to snuff it out.

She looked down ashamedly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

She was brought back to the argument at hand when someone else joined them.

"What's this?" Miroku said, swinging an arm around Koga's shoulder. "My two besties are at it again, eh?"

"We're not besties," Koga and Inuyasha said at the same time, then glared at each other.

Their response didn't faze Miroku at all. He went on smiling pleasantly, his handsome face turning to Kagome. Miroku Monk wasn't as tall as Inuyasha or Koga, but he was even better looking. His uniform shirt was unbuttoned three down and his rich brown hair seemed to always be caught in a perpetual breeze. His eyes, Kagome was surprised to see, were a deep and intelligent blue.

"Good afternoon, Kikyo," he said. "As beautiful as ever."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and Kagome returned the serene smile. "Good afternoon, Miroku."

"Well, I think we've all had enough play time for one day, don't you?" Miroku asked her.

"Indeed," she responded, not sure what else to say.

"Let's head in, then, shall we?"

Koga shook Miroku's arm off and walked away with a huff. Inuyasha glared after him before turning to Kagome.

“What?” she asked.

"My, my, Inuyasha!" Miroku said. "Is that any way to look at a lady?" He put an arm around Kagome to lead her toward the school. "Pay no attention to the brute, Kikyo. He's not so beastly as he seems."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Kagome replied, her nose in the air.

"Hey!" Inuyasha complained as he walked beside her. "Look who's talking, Kago—"

She elbowed him, her smile at Miroku never faltering. Miroku went right on smiling back.

This was the first time she'd ever spoken to Miroku. He didn't seem as bad as Sango was always making him out to be.

Except that his hand was creeping rather low on her waist. A chill crawled up her spine as she slowly turned to stare at him in scandal. Miroku just smiled back.

"Lech, what are you doing?" Inuyasha demanded, pulling Miroku away by pinching his cheek.

"Ow, ow! Heheh, I was only kidding, kidding!"

"Get the heck out of here, Monk." He tossed Miroku away.

"So rough, Inuyasha!" Miroku complained in a false tone of hurt. "Is that any way to treat your bestie?"

"You're not my bestie."

Miroku pouted, rubbing his cheek, and fell a few steps behind them.

"What the hell, Kagome," Inuyasha hissed to her as she kept walking. "Quit messing around with the likes of those idiots."

" _I'm_ messing around?" she whispered back harshly. "Don't be stupid, it's not my fault they wanted to talk to Kikyo!"

"That's my point, she's got a reputation, don't mess it up because you let yourself get sweet talked by a couple of morons."

"Sweet talked? Please. I've handled worse than them. I handle you, don't I?"

"What, you want Koga drooling all over you?"

"He wasn't drooling all over me. I'm Kikyo, remember? Koga likes Kagome."

“Tch, why, I’ll never know.”

The twinge in her chest came back, but this time it hurt.

They were very near the door now, and Kagome could see the woman in red looking in their direction. She swallowed, her paranoia returning at anything that could possibly be connected to the man Onigumo. But could someone connected to a criminal really be here, on school property, with students passing by them? She would hope that weren't possible, that there were authorities to make sure that didn't happen. But maybe he was smarter and more dangerous man than Kikyo gave him credit for.

 _I'm Kikyo_ , she thought toward the woman. _No need to look anywhere else. I won't let you find her._ She looked down at Inuyasha's hand that swung as he walked, and swallowed. He wouldn’t like it, and she was already terrified by how much her heart was beating at the thought. But more than she was afraid of feeling like an idiot, she was afraid for Kikyo.

She carefully and casually reached out, sliding her fingers down his wrist until she found his hand to take hold of. He snapped his head toward her.

"…What in the hell do you think you're doing?" he said. She smiled the way she had seen Kikyo smile at him and hoped the strange woman was watching.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Uh, you losing your entire freaking mind, that's what's wrong. What is with you these days?"

She squeezed his hand, dropping her voice to a whisper. She hoped she wasn’t shaking. "Please, Inuyasha," she said, making sure he was the only one who could see the urgency on her face. "I'm sorry about all of this, I'm sorry about me, I'm sorry about Kikyo. It's for a reason, I promise, but I can't tell you what it is, even though I want to. _Please_ , just help me."

He paused, his amber eyes deep and startled as he searched her face. She tried not to focus on the angles of his mouth or the way his bangs brushed the top of his dark eyelashes. Keeping her grip on his hand tight, she walked forward, pulling him along. She didn’t look at the woman in red, but she could feel the woman's gaze on her from behind her sunglasses.

Then Inuyasha's fingers closed around hers. In surprise she looked down at his hand. It was much larger than hers, tough muscles and callouses covered in worn, tan skin. There were a few bruises on his knuckles from fights he was probably in last week when he had skipped school to avoid her. She took it all in, unable to fight off the wash of warmth that traveled up her arm at the touch of his skin against hers.

 _No, no, no_ , she yelled at herself. _You stupid, stupid girl! Only think about Kikyo! That’s all he’s doing._

She swallowed hard before daring to steal a glance at his face. He was looking back over his shoulder, his expression suddenly fierce. She followed his gaze. They were inside the school now, but the woman was still watching them. Kagome bit her lip. That woman must have been sent by Onigumo, and she might have kept on staring at Kagome if Miroku hadn't walked up to her then, trying to flirt.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome and she met his eyes. There was a question there, but he didn't ask it out loud. They turned the corner, out of sight of the woman, and his hand slipped away from hers. She inwardly screamed at herself for even having the thought that she was disappointed.

* * *

Sango packed her things into her bag as the rest of her team loudly chatted behind her. The coach was still yelling something, but it wasn't serious and hardly anyone was listening. Sango swung her bag over her shoulder, she wiped a drop of sweat off her forehead and pulled out her phone. Saying goodbye to Yuka and the others, she walked off the field, laughing out loud at a jumbled text Kagome had sent her about how she had narrowly avoided her family while convincingly acting like an invalid for Hojo, Eri, and Ayumi. Kagome’s acting had almost been foiled by both their little brothers and their friend Shippo, who had walked in on her trying to rat her hair into bedhead.

With an amused sigh Sango shook her head. She didn't envy Kagome right now. This business with Kikyo and the escaped psycho from prison was not an easy one. She wished there was more she could do, but she didn’t know what that was. She was a third year in high school with a team to train, finals to take, a father to support, martial arts classes to teach on the weekends, a sick brother to take care of, and a best friend to keep from being kidnapped accosted by convicts. She could only do so much with how stretched thin she was.

The sun was hanging lower in the early fall sky, but there would still be plenty of light for her to walk home by. She tensed when she saw someone waiting against the fence at the edge of the field. With a groan she recognized Miroku.

Pretending she hadn't seen him, she walked faster.

"Well, well, if it isn't Sango!" Miroku called, pushing off the fence and keeping up with her freakishly fast speed-walking pace like it was normal. "Just who I was hoping to see."

"Stuff it, Monk, I don't have the energy to deal with you right now,” she said.

"Well, that's all right, Sango, I've got enough energy for the both of us! Want a piggyback ride home?"

"You wish, pervert."

"Pervert? I'm wounded."

"Good."

"And after I've come all this way out of concern for your friend, Kagome."

"You stay away from her! She might be too sick to fend you off, but I sure as heck won't have a problem breaking all your limbs."

"Sick? She looked perfectly healthy when I saw her today."

The stupid idiot, he probably didn't know the difference between Kikyo and Kagome, just like everyone else. Geeze, that pissed Sango off. Kagome deserved better than being confused for her sister constantly, better than being stuck running the shrine because Kikyo wanted to be a doctor, better than having a crush on that idiot Inuyasha, who obviously couldn't see how awesome she was.

"Whatever, Miroku," Sango said, picking up the pace again.

Miroku didn’t follow, but he said, "Tell me, is there a reason Kagome Higurashi is impersonating her sister?"

Sango stopped. Miroku was a few steps behind her, the yellow light of the lowering sun casting shadows on him. He was still smiling, but it the normal carefree, playboy smile she had always seen on him. There was such a serious undercurrent, such a feeling of chilling danger, that any sarcastic remarks she might have had died inside her. This was a different Miroku than she had encountered before.

"And, if I might add a follow up question," he said, taking a purposeful step toward her and making her swallow. "What does it have to do with a man named Naraku?"

Her blood went cold.

* * *


	5. Up the Water Spout

June – Two months before the present

Inuyasha dropped his pencil to the desk, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. He hated trigonometry. It was literally the worst of all the maths. And he usually didn't mind math—math made sense. Math was predictable, had rules, didn't require anything from him other than a formula. The only reason this was difficult for him now was because he usually skipped class, but Kikyo wouldn’t stand for that anymore. She wouldn't scold him, she never did, but she'd give him that cool look that meant she disapproved. That look gave him anxiety.

So, here he was, alone in the classroom after school, finishing up the assignment he had neglected last week. After threatening Inuyasha to behave himself, even the teacher had left. Inuyasha had begrudgingly grunted in agreement. Geeze. He knew he wasn't exactly a model student, or a model human, for that matter, but that didn't mean he was a psycho who would ruin everything as soon as someone wasn't looking. He wasn't that self-destructive.

Besides, if he broke anything at school, Sesshomaru would have to pay for it, and Getting Sesshomaru involved always made him want to slam his face into a brick wall. Which Sesshomaru would probably enjoy watching, sipping his pure black coffee like the masochist he was.

Resting his chin on a fist, Inuyasha looked out the window at the blue sky. Summer was only a month away. On the one hand, he wouldn't have to deal with school for a few weeks. On the other hand, he wouldn't see Kikyo every day. And he'd probably have to gear up for some run-ins with Bankotsu and his idiotic gang. They were bound to run into each other on the street, since Inuyasha sure as hell wouldn't be hanging around at home while Sesshomaru was there. He'd rather fight Bankotsu than Sesshomaru. Even Kikyo couldn't keep him from those fights, no matter how coolly she looked at him. Or how loudly her little sister scolded him. That girl was such a loud mouth, and for some reason she took it upon herself to follow him around and pester him about his stupid life decisions.

A movement on the field caught his attention. The track team was out practicing jumps and the discus. He watched them aimlessly for a moment before he recognized the girl stepping up to throw the circular disk.

Speak of the devil. It was Kagome, he could tell, even from this far away. There was no mistaking her dark hair and overly expressive body language. She was always all facial expressions and waving hands and head tilts. She wasn't on the track team. Then again, she wasn't in the AV club, either, yet he'd seen her with them last week. What was she up to? She managed to get the discus into the air, but it went far askew and everyone panicked as it neared the coach’s head.

Inuyasha let out a snort of laughter as the discus bonked right into the coach and Kagome threw her hands to her head in horror. There was no one there to see him, so Inuyasha didn't bother hiding the smirk on his face as he watched her bow several times to the coach in apology. Idiot. But when she wasn't getting on his nerves and when no one else was around, she could make him laugh. Not that he'd ever let her know it, but it was kind of nice. He didn't laugh often.

"Aren't they adorable?"

Inuyasha whipped around to find the lanky form of Miroku Monk leaning against a desk a few feet behind him, watching out the same window.

"Running around in their gym shorts. Wouldn't you agree they're the cutest?" Miroku smiled at him.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Inuyasha demanded.

"What, me? I've been here ten minutes at least." Miroku pushed off the desk to come stand by Inuyasha's. He watched the track team as Inuyasha gave him a sidelong look. For a loud, flirtatious guy Miroku sure could sneak around.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha asked.

"I was passing by and came in to talk to you. I've been meaning to ask you something for weeks,” Miroku said.

Inuyasha frowned. "What's that?"

Suddenly, Miroku became serious. He leaned a hand on Inuyasha's desk while running his other hand through his hair. "Well, you see, I was wondering…" He put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Will you be my mentor?"

Inuyasha's mind went blank. "What?"

"My mentor! Will you mentor me?"

"In…math?"

Miroku laughed. "Oh, no, that's a good one, no I meant girls! Teach me how to get a girl like you!"

Now he was sure Miroku was making fun of him. Or he was high.

"Oh, dear," Miroku said, "You're looking at me like you just ate a very nasty bug."

"Girls? What are you going on about, Monk?"

"You! Kikyo!" He turned away, clasping his hands together and looking at the ceiling dreamily. "I mean it's so obviously an impossible match that you must be an expert in the ways of wooing women. I must admit, Inuyasha, I never would have pegged you as that kind of man, but, hey, you're not fooling anyone now! You must be a genius. So, are you going to be my mentor? Are you going to teach me your ways? Eh?"

Inuyasha's eye only twitched.

"Is that a yes?" Miroku said.

Inuyasha stood, gathering his homework. "That's a 'hell no'."

"Come on, you have to tell me! What did you say to Kikyo? What did you do? Was it all right away, or did you wear her down over time? How can I date a fierce and beautiful girl like that?"

"You can date whoever you want, for all I care," Inuyasha said, shooting him a disgusted look, "You're never lacking from female attention, right?"

"Oh, you've noticed!" Miroku said proudly. "Thank you!" Inuyasha ignored him, stuffing his things into his backpack and walking toward the door. Miroku went on yapping, "You're right, I can date anyone. Who should I win over next? There's Miyuki? Tsubara? That new first year is cute, what's her name? Yotsuma something? Maybe Sarasa Deidaka? Oh, there's always Kagome, too."

Inuyasha stopped in the doorway, his hand on the frame. He looked back at Miroku, who was watching out the window with a finger on his chin. That idiot Kagome was probably being her usual annoying, endearing self out there.

Miroku turned his smile to Inuyasha. "She's cute, too, though she's different from Kikyo. Say, do you think you could hook me up? You know her, right?"

"Fat chance," Inuyasha snorted. "Stay away from her." He walked out the door.

"Oh, come now," Miroku said, following him into the hallway. "I admit it's cute that you're protective of your girlfriend's little sister, but I assure you there's no need to worry about me! I'd never hurt her! Kiss her maybe, hold her gently, you know how that goes, I'm sure! So, how about it? You, Kikyo, me, Kagome, double date? I promise we'll leave you two alone when you need it if you do the same for us, if you know what I mean, eh?" He elbowed Inuyasha playfully in the side.

Inuyasha grabbed Miroku by the jacket and said in his darkest, most threatening voice, that he usually reserved only for his brother, "I said stay away from her. Got it?"

Miroku looked back at him with raised eyebrows, his smile gone. He didn’t seem afraid, he seemed…calculating? He cocked his head to the side, eyes icy cold, and Inuyasha almost punched him, just for giving him the chills. Then a smile slowly returned to Miroku's face and he lifted both hands in surrender.

"Alright," he said, "I get it. The Higurashis are off limits."

Inuyasha let go of his jacket and continued down the hall with a last wary glance at the other boy.

 _That guy_ , he thought, _is different._

: : :

* * *

August – Present

There was something odd going on here, but Inuyasha had yet to figure out what. Since he had seen the sheer look of desperation on Kagome's face when she asked for his help two days ago, he hadn't bothered her once to tell him what the heck she was doing. Instead, he clammed up and settled for watching.

Kikyo had been acting strange for weeks. She had always been quiet, but in the days leading up to her sudden departure she had been distracted, spacey even. That certainly wasn't like her.

Kagome was the opposite now. She had always been a carefree girl, easy to laugh and smile, but since she had been posing as Kikyo she had been reserved and on high alert. Every time they walked outside the school or passed by windows, her eyes were searching. He couldn’t guess what for. He had seen the woman in red twice more since they had passed her the first time, waiting under a shady tree, in the backseat of a black car. Whoever she was, she made Kagome nervous, and he didn't like it.

Kagome had assured Inuyasha a dozen times that Kikyo was fine and that she had no clue what Kagome was up to. So, there was only one thing that Inuyasha was sure of—it was Kagome who was in trouble.

Idiot girl, what had she gotten herself into? She wasn't malicious in any way, except perhaps towards him, so if there was trouble then it must have come from her being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If there was one thing he was an expert in, it was being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he wished more than once that Kagome would talk to him.

She just kept giving him the same apologetic smile and thanking him for not blowing her cover. Even though he wanted to. Fake smiles didn't look right on Kagome, and Inuyasha was glad when Sango was around, or when it was just him and Kagome at lunch or in the library. Those were the only times he saw her relax, dropping the Kikyo act and not looking over her shoulder every few minutes.

And now, no one was acting like themselves. Inuyasha was in the same grade as Sango and knew for a fact that she hated Miroku Monk. Yet fifteen minutes ago she had come whispering to Kagome before dragging her away to an empty classroom with Miroku. Inuyasha couldn't help but follow suspiciously.

Now he leaned against the wall beside the closed door where the two girls were meeting with that weird guy. It was lunch, so hardly anyone was inside the school building, and if a student did pass, Inuyasha didn't even need to glare at them. They just scooted away from him as quickly as possible. There were some perks for having a terrible reputation.

He strained his ears but could only hear muffled voices beyond the door. He growled to himself, startling a couple young girls who were walking by. He couldn’t believe Miroku of all people in on this when he wasn't. She’d said they were friends. So why was she going to Miroku before him? What could Miroku possibly help her with that he couldn’t?

* * *

Kagome looked back and forth between Sango and Miroku. Miroku was uncharacteristically serious, and Sango was biting her lip. Sango obviously believed what Miroku was saying, which was the only thing that kept Kagome from laughing at how ridiculous it all seemed.

She looked back down at the file folder in front of her. There were a few pictures: two far away shots of the woman in red that she had seen the last couple days, and one of a man in a hospital bed with burn scars and bandages all over his face. Along with the pictures was a stack of papers with typing and handwritten notes in the margins—a court transcript, it looked like—and a small business card with the phrase "Naraku: Consultant" and a phone number.

"So, this woman," Kagome said, trying to digest what she'd been told, "Kagura Wasanabi. She works for Naraku? And Naraku…works for Onigumo?"

"It's probably the other way around," Miroku answered. "At the very least they work together."

"Ok. Tell me again who Naraku is?"

"Well, no one knows, but anyone in the business has heard his name—he's tied to dozens of conspiracies, drug trafficking, bankruptcies." He glanced at Sango, who huffed angrily. "But no one's ever seen his face. If you did, you'd be a national hero."

"And Kagura Wasanbi is…?" Kagome asked.

"His lawyer. More like his lackey. Even for shady lawyers she's particularly bad, but she gets the job done—she got Onigumo's sentence down to only few petty thefts and two years jail time."

Right, that’s what Kikyo had told her. "But he's done more than that?"

"Has a thing for arson, mostly. That picture of him in the hospital was after he burned down a Ma and Pa store with the family still inside about five years ago, probably at Naraku’s orders. He got caught inside somehow. No one could prove it was him who started it, though, so he got off easy." Miroku looked away in disgust.

"So…this is a gang?" Kagome said.

"In layman's terms, I guess you could call it that. Highly organized, and definitely not scrounging around dark alleys, but, sure. Except that they have this web of control and chaos stretched throughout the country and possibly further. Naraku's sitting in the middle of it all like a fat, hungry spider pulling all the strings."

Kagome crinkled her nose, sharing a worried look with Sango.

"And my sister is involved in all this?" she asked.

"Not really. As far as I can tell from what Sango's told me, Onigumo's interest in her is as Kikyo says. Creepy, but genuine. But I don't think she really knew who she was dealing with, or that he had ties to worse criminals,” Miroku said.

Kagome put a hand up to push a hair out of her face, only to realize her fingers were shaking slightly. "She's really in danger, isn't she?"

Sango looked at Miroku, who sighed. "She isn’t the only one. From what research I've done on the Kotsui medical program, Kikyo was right. It is a safe place. For now. You should worry more about yourself, Kagome. I don't think you should keep up this act anymore."

"What? You think I should stop?" She frowned. "How can I stop? Then they'd know for sure that Kikyo's run away and this psychopath would probably chase her to Sapporo and burn the hospital down! No, I'm not quitting. For now, it's fine, and they think Kikyo is where she should be."

"Kagome—" Sango started, but Kagome stopped her.

"Onigumo… _wants_ Kikyo, right? Kikyo said he wouldn't hurt her. I'll keep it up so long as we think it's throwing them off her trail." She sounded braver than she felt. This was becoming messier by the second. "In the meantime, what can we do? I don't know if Kikyo was just planning on waiting it out or what, but from what you're saying I don't think it'll be that easy."

"No, I doubt it will," Miroku said sadly.

"For any of us," Sango added, rubbing her arm. Kagome knew Sango must be thinking of her own sibling. Onigumo had some connection to this Naraku monster who had been bothering Sango’s family. Who knew that this group of people would be affecting both of their lives so suddenly?

"So!" Miroku said, his cheerful smile returning as he clapped his hands together. "In the meantime, we all need to be careful. No one talk to Kagura Wasanabi if you see her around, and everyone keep an eye and an ear out for anything that could be useful. I've been trying to do it myself for ages, but this is the first time I've met others who are in contact with Naraku and are willing to talk about it."

"You said this is your father's work?" Kagome asked, inspecting the contents of the folder one last time before closing it and handing it to Miroku.

"Some of it. Most if it is my own research." Miroku took the folder carefully. "A lot of the original files were suspiciously lost from the station, and everything else my father wasn't allowed to take with him when he left the detective agency. He wasn't too happy about that, especially since this was the case that broke him." He was smiling, but it wasn't warm.

Kagome stood carefully, feeling like her shoulders were heavier than they had been before. She followed Sango and Miroku as they headed out the door.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Kagome," Sango was saying, "I told Miroku I wanted to be sure before we told you anything and made him tell me everything first." She turned to Miroku with a smile. "Who knew you were so helpful, Miroku? I never would have expected you to have a detective's head like your dad."

"Thank you, Sango," Miroku said as he opened the door for them. "It's an honor to help two such beautiful ladies."

Kagome saw him reaching for Sango's butt but before he could say anything Sango whirled on him. She winced as Sango yelled, " _Pervert_!" smacked him in the face, and then tossed him out the door.

"Ow, Sango, so harsh!" Miroku said, picking himself off the floor with a hand to his cheek. "After all I've done for you?"

"If this is your price, then I'm not paying!" She huffed and turned away, only to freeze. "Inuyasha."

Kagome's chest constricted and she quickly stepped forward and looked into the hall. Inuyasha was less than two feet away from the door. Had he heard their conversation? No, he couldn't have—he wasn't flying off the handle in a rage, just standing there annoyed.

"Having fun at your new club meeting?" he said scathingly.

"Oh, so much fun!" Miroku said, draping an arm around Sango as if there wasn't a flaming red handprint on his face. He grinned at her, not seeming to notice that she was scowling at him.

"Touch me again, Monk," she said darkly, "And I'll break that pretty face of yours so bad that girls will never look at you again." Still smiling, Miroku let go of her and took three steps back. Sango stomped down the hallway, saying, "I'll see you later, Kago—er, Kikyo."

Miroku followed, with a last wink at Kagome. "Take care, Kikyo. Keep in mind what we talked about."

"Ok," Kagome replied, ignoring Inuyasha's heavy gaze on the back of her head. When Miroku was gone she turned to him then sighed heavily.

"What's that reaction?" he scoffed. "My face tire you out?"

"No, that's not it," she said, heading down the hallwas with heavy feet. "I just have a lot on my mind, is all. Tons of homework." Which was true. Keeping up with her and Kikyo's homework was killing her. Kikyo's grades were slipping, and Kagome was basically flunking, but those were the least of her worries.

"Care to talk about what you three were up to in there?" Inuyasha asked, falling into step beside her.

"Just stuff. I had some questions about an assignment."

He snorted, but he didn't pry further, which she was grateful for. She hadn't quite swallowed all the new information she had received, but so far it wasn't sitting well in her stomach.

Lunch was nearly over, and soon the school would be filling with students again. For now, the halls were still quite empty. She glanced over at Inuyasha, who was glaring at the walls and frightening anyone they passed. But he wasn't glaring at her. She smiled.

He had been surprisingly accommodating the last few days. She wasn't sure if he was hanging around to help with her Kikyo charade, or if it was because he had actually accepted her as a friend after their conversation last weekend. Either way, he was being more help and more comfort to her than anyone would have thought a person like Inuyasha capable of.

"Inuyasha," she said quietly, just in case anyone walked by. His golden-brown eyes flicked to her and she smiled. "I know this is all probably hard for you, and I don't mean to be bothering you so much. But thank you, Inuyasha." She reached out and touched his arm lightly, trying to convey her gratitude in the simple action. "I appreciate everything more than you know."

She pulled away, not wanting to make him uncomfortable, but was taken off guard when his hand shot out to grab her upper arm. He pulled her a step closer to the wall, his eyes looking down the hall for potential eavesdroppers. She could only stand there holding her breath as he lowered his face far too close to hers.

"Kagome, if you're in some kind of trouble you can tell me," he said, voice low, his eyes boring into hers. "I hate just sitting by. If you need my help, just say so. I'll be there."

At his words she could feel the tightness on her heart and the heaviness on her shoulders more than ever, and the truth almost exploded from her chest. She wanted to hug him, touch his face, tiptoe and kiss him. With him this close it would be so, so easy. Then the thought popped into her head that those weren’t her lips to kiss, those weren’t her arms to hide behind. She squeezed her eyes shut.

She turned the wince into a smile and said, "I know. Thank you, Inuyasha." Then she stepped out of his grasp and continued walking, trying very hard not to look at him, and even harder not to cry out all her stress. His footsteps echoed in the silent hall as he followed.

* * *

Inuyasha didn't want to go downstairs, but his stomach was demanding it. For the thousandth time he wished he could have a mini fridge in his room. "It'll ruin the carpet," Sesshomaru had said. Whatever. That was just his excuse to keep Inuyasha from having what he wanted.

With an annoyed groan he flung his textbook aside. He had been too distracted to do homework, so he'd ended up watching the sun slowly set out his window, music playing loudly through his headphones.

Stupid Kagome. He’d finally mustered up enough courage to say what he’d been trying to say for two days, although he might have been a little more intense than he had intended. He wasn't good with that kind of stuff, and as a result he'd ended up grabbing her a little too rough and getting way too up in her personal space. She probably hadn't noticed, though, since she practically had no personal boundaries and was always getting into his. Still, he had noticed. It was hard not to when he touched so few people. Kikyo was different—being close to Kikyo or touching her was safe and reliable. Touching Kagome was like getting too close to an open flame. He could only handle it for extremely brief amounts of time.

Sheesh. That girl was weird.

He pushed himself off his bed and pounded down the stairs as loudly as he could, hoping Sesshomaru was doing something important that he could distract him from. He headed to the kitchen and had just pulled the milk out of the fridge to drink from the carton when something caught his eye. He glanced down to see a little girl, perhaps ten years old, standing next to him.

She stared at him. He stared back. Then she smiled.

"What the hell?" he said, barely able to hear his own voice over the music in his headphones. "Where did you come from? You can't just wander into other people's houses, kid."

She said something back, which he couldn't hear.

Sesshomaru walked by the kitchen then. For half-brothers, they didn't look very much alike. Sesshomaru was tall and slender, with a pointed chin and hair was so pale it was almost silver. He had an affinity for gray suits, and instead of Inuyasha's usual heated scowl he wore a cold, distant expression. The only thing they did share were the same golden-brown eyes, probably a constant reminder to Sesshomaru that he couldn’t get rid of Inuyasha.

Next to Sesshomaru was a woman that Inuyasha immediately recognized. She was in a darker red skirt and wasn't wearing sunglasses, but she was undoubtedly the same woman Inuyasha had seen near the school the past few days. Inuyasha's question about the little girl in the kitchen died as he looked at his brother and the woman. They both looked back at him unconcernedly, then said something to each other that he couldn't hear. The woman turned toward the front door, and Inuyasha yanked one of his headphones off.

"Hey, lady," he said gruffly before she could leave, "Isn't this your kid?"

She looked back at him coolly, lifting her purse over her shoulder. "No,” she said. Then she walked away, Sesshomaru following to close the door behind her.

A second later Sesshomaru came back to the kitchen doorway. "Rin," he said to the girl, "Go to bed."

"Ok!" she said cheerfully.

Sesshomaru's eyes flicked up to Inuyasha, then back to Rin. "Don't listen to anything Inuyasha says. He's a bad influence." Then he walked away.

"Ok!" Rin said again. She smiled up at Inuyasha, then skipped out of the kitchen.

Inuyasha stood with the milk in his hand, music playing in one ear, confused as hell and wondering how on earth his brother might be involved with Kagome’s mysterious situation.

* * *


	6. Feeding Needs

February – Seven months before the present

Kagome left the kettle on the stove before hurrying to switch her slippers for shoes. It was sunny outside, but it was deceptive—winter wasn't over yet, and the bitter wind liked to remind her of that. She pulled her sweater tightly around her as she slid open the back door.

Hurrying across the cobblestoned courtyard, she passed under the large tree that loomed over the old shrine house. The tree was sacred, supposedly, but Kagome only saw it as an old member of the family. Its leaves swayed in the breeze, shadows dancing over her as she reached the old storehouse on the edge of the property. Her grandfather kept all sorts of junk and objects in the storehouse, and she had to shove aside a few jars of pickled radishes and a noh mask to find a box of her father's favorite tea. They usually kept it well stocked, more because it reminded everyone of their father than because they liked it. She took the box carefully and left the storehouse.

On her way back, a patch of red at the base of the sacred tree caught her eye. It was a person, sitting on the ground and leaning against the trunk. Weren't they freezing out here? Perhaps it was a homeless person. It wouldn't be the first time—people often sought refuge at the shrine when they had nowhere to go. She crossed over to them.

"Hey, can I help you?" she called. They didn't answer, and as she got closer she could see they were asleep. It was a boy—his jeans were worn and his red jacket didn't look warm enough to sleep outside in during February. Yet he was sleeping soundly, his hands behind his head, his dark bangs shadowing his face.

Kagome crouched down beside him, quietly reaching out to tap his arm. He didn't stir, of course, and she should have tried harder, but something stopped her.

Leaning back against the bark of the tree, he seemed so peaceful. The wind that ruffled both their hair didn't seem to bother him one bit. He looked familiar. Had she seen him before? Maybe, although she thought she would remember someone so beautiful. And he was beautiful, in the way that mountains and forest streams and the wild were beautiful. She wondered what color his eyes were. Before thinking, she had reached forward to carefully touch a long strand of black hair.

Then her mother called her name from the house. The boy shifted. Mortified, Kagome immediately stood and hurried to the house. _How embarrassing!_ she thought, _Thank goodness he didn't wake up!_

"Did you get the tea, dear?" Asako asked when Kagome reached her.

Kagome handed her the box. "Mom, there's a boy here, asleep under the tree."

"A boy?" Asako looked. The boy was awake now and standing, his jacket and shirt lifting up as he stretched. "Oh, my, there is a boy."

Shoving his hands back in his pockets, the boy glanced around the yard, freezing when he saw Kagome and her mother.

"Ah," said Kikyo, appearing in the doorway with a coat on, "Inuyasha's still here, is he?"

 _Inuyasha._ Kagome knew that name. She'd heard it a hundred times at school, always connected to some sort of astonishing story. She looked back at the boy in the yard, wondering how he could be the same person as the frightening figure she had seen skulking around the school.

"Is that the young man you told me about?" Asako asked as Kikyo slipped on her shoes.

"Yes," Kikyo said. "We recently started dating."

"D-dating!" Kagome sputtered. "What, you didn't tell me you were seeing someone!"

"I’m sorry, Kagome," Kikyo said with a small smile. "I promise I'll introduce you soon. He's a bit…wary of people, though."

"Sounds like a dog, not a person," Sota said, appearing behind his mother with a sandwich in his hand.

Kikyo walked across the courtyard to meet the strange boy.

"Just saying. You know him, Kagome?" Sota asked.

Kagome watched Kikyo reach the boy. She said something to him and he nodded. Kikyo headed for the stairs and the boy, Inuyasha, glanced one last time at the family in the doorway. The peace was gone from his face—his gaze was hard and narrow. Kagome wondered how two such different expressions could exist on the same face.

"No," she said after a minute, "I don't know him."

: : :

* * *

September – Present

Kagome was becoming much more comfortable in her role as Kikyo. By the end of the third week, she was remembering people's names and finding her way to her classes and had even rejected a few boys whose love letters had made her blush. Miroku checked in on her now and then, asking if she had received any more notes from Onigumo, but everything had been quiet on that front. She hoped that was a good sign. She was able to drop the “lost contact” act soon enough, and was even beginning to make some friends among Kikyo's peers. It was, she thought, easier for her to disappear into Kikyo's life than she had thought. Of course. She was her sister's shadow, after all. Just Kikyo Junior.

As for Kagome, she was perpetually "sick". Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi were beginning to be very worried, and bombarded her phone with concerned texts and phone calls. Hojo was almost as bad, and she had to bribe Sota twice to answer the door and tell the boy she was too sick to get out of bed. Her mother gave her sly looks and asked if she was over the kindhearted classmate. Kagome had only shrugged.

As for Kagome’s grades, they were becoming atrocious. If they became any worse the school might call her mother, and then she'd be in trouble.

So as it was, at the beginning of the fourth week from Kikyo's departure, Kagome was forced to call in sick for Kikyo and go to school as herself.

"This is truly a miraculous recovery!" Hojo exclaimed when he saw her in class. "Why, just two days ago you were so ill you couldn't get out of bed!"

"Heh heh, yeah, it sure is amazing!" Kagome said, pulling out a stack of assignments she had done at home over the last couple weeks.

"What good timing!" Yuka said, "Since it's midterms today and all."

"Yeah, what good luck!" She didn't feel very lucky, though. She spent the next several hours in a tense silence as her classmates' pencils seemed to fly across their exam papers. Struggling from question to question, she made it just in time before the bell rang.

"This is giving me an ulcer," she told Sango on the way to lunch.

"Yeah, I bet," she poked Kagome in the side, who squirmed away. "I have to say, though, it's really good to have you back, you know, as you."

Kagome returned her smile. "Yeah, it's nice to be me again."

"So does Kikyo have the flu? I have to get my stories straight in case anyone asks."

"A light cold. She'll be back to school tomorrow or the next day, probably. I, however, have spent a lot of energy today and may be feeling a bit more tired and sick than I had expected by the end of today. I might have to take the rest of the week off."

They giggled together, and Kagome was relieved to not have to stifle it like she would have dressed as Kikyo.

It was raining outside again, so most of the students had wandered inside to the cafeteria. Sango went to buy food while Kagome sat down to open the homemade lunch. She glanced around at her fellow students and wondered if any of them would look at her strangely. Maybe not—maybe Kikyo and Kagome were just becoming one in the same in the eyes of the populace. Then she wondered if any of them might be spying for Onigumo. Miroku had said to stay on her toes. He said anyone could be vulnerable to a bribe or a threat from someone who worked for Naraku.

A thud on the top of her head startled her. She looked up to see a stack of papers on top of her head.

"Hey," Inuyasha said from behind her, "So Junior’s back in school today, is she?"

It had been a while since he had called her Junior, but she let it slide. It was better than him calling her Kikyo, like he had to most days.

"What's this?" she asked, pulling the papers from his hand.

"Kikyo's homework," he said. "Someone gave it to me, figuring I might see her today and be able to give it to her."

"Well, I can do that for you." She smiled up at him.

"Right," he said dryly.

She patted the seat next to her.

"What?" he said.

"Aren't you gonna eat lunch with me?"

"Uh, no."

"Oh, yeah? You have someone else you're gonna go hang out with?" she replied sarcastically. He _hmphed_ and started walking away. She said casually, "Suit yourself. That'll leave room for Koga at the table, anyway."

It was only a split second before the chair next to her scooted out and Inuyasha plopped into it. She beamed at him, which he ignored.

"There, you see?" she said sweetly. "What's the harm, anyway? We're friends, aren't we?"

He _hmphed_ again, glancing around the lunchroom. Now that she thought about it, she had never seen Inuyasha eat in the lunchroom. He generally ate with Kikyo, but if she wasn't around then he slunk off by himself. She just smiled as she watched him nervously glare around at the students nearby. He caught her gaze.

"What?" he snapped.

"Nothing."

A second later Sango sat across from them. She looked at Inuyasha and then Kagome with raised eyebrows. "Oh, hey, Inuyasha."

"Hey,” he said absently, digging into the ramen he had.

Ayumi came next, plopping a heavy notebook in front of Kagome. "There you go, Kagome, my complete notes for the last two weeks!"

Kagome swallowed the food in her mouth hard before slowly reaching out to flip open the book. "Oh my gosh, there's so much!"

"Well, you did miss more than three weeks of school."

"What did you expect?" Sango said.

Yuko dropped her lunchbox across from Inuyasha, who looked up at her as though she had just crossed into his territory. She didn't pay him any attention. "You did the assignments we brought you, right?" Yuka asked.

"Well, yeah, of course," Kagome said, looking at the math notes and wishing the information could just soak through her fingertips into her brain. "That doesn't mean I remember anything, though."

"Kagome," Eri said, sitting beside her. She put an arm around her shoulder, pushing Kagome into Inuyasha and causing him to spill his ramen a little bit. He glared at Eri, who was too busy saying to Kagome with tears in her eyes, "You missed the drama finals! Fujihara played the page boy, but it just wasn't the same without you!"

"I'm sorry, Eri," Kagome said, apologetically. She began nodding as Eri described the tragic final scene, but really she was focusing on the math notes.

"So, Inuyasha," Sango said with a sly smile, "How's Kikyo feeling? Will she be back tomorrow?"

"Huh? Uh.." He glanced at Kagome, who was too busy to offer him any help. "She's fine."

"That's good," Sango said with a teasing smile, to which Inuyasha returned a glare.

"You two are a pretty interesting pair, huh? But I mean, she's really hot and you're really hot, so I guess it makes sense," Yuka said bluntly.

Inuyasha dropped his noodles back into his cup, looking horribly uncomfortable with so many girls staring at him. Kagome snorted a laugh and covered her mouth so Inuyasha wouldn’t notice.

"I don't think it's odd," Ayumi said, clasping her hands together, "I think it's sweet. A classic tale of bad boy meets good girl, right?"

"This isn't Grease," Yuka said, her mouth full.

"Grease?" asked Inuyasha.

"Old movie. Don't worry about it. But, hey, you and Kikyo seem to be getting pretty cozy lately,” Eri said.

"Why do you say that?" Ayumi asked.

Eri shrugged. "Oh, you know. Plus, I saw them in the library the other day. They looked all cute while they were bickering about something."

"Ah, yes," Ayumi said, a hand to her cheek. "They say couples who fight are really close."

Kagome's eye twitched and Inuyasha stiffened.

"It's not the fighting that's good, it's being able to make up afterwards that's good," Yuka said.

Kagome slowly craned her neck to look at Inuyasha. He was slurping his ramen loudly, tangible waves of unease coming off of him as the girls continued to talk about him as though he weren't a reputable bad boy able to reduce them to a pulp. He looked like he might bolt from the room or flip a table any second. _Oh, geeze_ , Kagome thought, _I should have known. He's not used to people._

"Hey, Kagome!"

Kagome blinked as Hojo sat down on Inuyasha's other side, putting an elbow on the table to lean around the older boy and smile at her.

"The hell?" Inuyasha said to the newcomer, in a "how dare he sit near me" tone.

Normally, that look would have made anyone get up immediately and walk away. Hojo just smiled at him. "Oh, hello, Inuyasha!"

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha said.

Hojo laughed. "My name's Hojo, second year. We've met before, but that's all right!" He clapped Inuyasha on the shoulder, but received such a cold glare for it that he quickly withdrew his hand. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, Kagome, I brought you this." He put a bottle of green juice on the table. "It's a health drink, it should give you energy and restore your natural electrolytes."

"Oh, thanks, Hojo," Kagome said. "That's really nice of you."

"Of course! I—I mean, _we_ want you to be feeling back to your normal self! We don't want you missing school, and the fall festivals will be coming up soon." He smiled at her so warmly she could feel it even over Inuyasha, who was putting up a solid barrier of ice between them. Finally, Hojo stood. "I'll bring you more juice tomorrow, Kagome. Gotta keep up your strength!" He walked away and Kagome sighed.

"Oooh, Kagome, that boy has it for you so bad," Yuka said with glint in her eye. "You should have seen how worked up he was the whole time you were out sick."

"He's a nice friend…" Kagome started, feeling Inuyasha's eyes slide to her. Perhaps asking him to eat lunch with her had been a bad idea.

"Nice friend my butt!" Eri said. "He didn't come to my house three times when I was out sick a couple months ago!"

"Well, it doesn't matter," Ayumi said in her soft voice, "Kagome doesn't like him. She likes someone else now, remember?"

"Erk!" Kagome said. She looked at Sango, who shared the same uncomfortable look after a quick glance at Inuyasha. Kagome laughed too loudly and pulled the math notes back in front of her. "Let's get back to algebra, shall we? Now, how do I do this right?" She began pouring over the notes. Her friends laughed before Sango mercifully changed the subject. Inuyasha just ate quietly.

Then Miroku sat next to him.

" _The hell_?" Inuyasha said again, giving Miroku an even fiercer glare than he had Hojo. Miroku ignored it, but the few first years at the table behind them nervously got up and walked to a different table. "What makes you think you can sit there?" Inuyasha asked him.

"Don't be so cranky, bestie. It'll give you frown lines. Good afternoon, ladies!" Miroku chirped. "How are all of you beautiful creatures today?"

"We're fine, Monk," Yuka said with a shallow look at him.

"You _are_ fine—"

"Don't even start!" Sango snapped.

"Come, now, such hostility!" Miroku clucked his tongue and shook his head. "And all I wanted was to come say hello to Kagome. She's been out sick so long!" He turned to smile at Kagome, only to have his face falter when he saw her muttering numbers to herself and scribbling in her notebook like a madwoman.

"I didn't know you even knew Kagome," Sango said flatly.

"Don't be silly, Sango. I know everyone. Especially all the pretty girls, like all of you." He smiled round at them, and they blushed a little. Except for Sango, who looked like she might be sick. Inuyasha had scooted his chair away from Miroku, but couldn't go very far without running into Kagome on his other side.

"So, ladies, what are you up to?" Miroku asked Sango and Yuka. "Your season's almost over. When's your next game?"

"As if we'd tell you—" Sango started.

"It's on Thursday," Yuka said at the same time.

The girls looked at each other.

"Sorry," Yuka shrugged.

Sango sighed and Miroku put his chin in his hand, smiling at her from across the table. "I'll have to make sure I'm there, then," He said.

"Don't trouble yourself," Sango replied, stabbing at her food.

"Oh, it's no trouble."

The conversation drifted around Kagome, but she wasn't aware of it. She was busy getting dizzy from numbers and formulas swimming around inside her head. Just when she thought she was recognizing the problems, they started drifting off the page and getting all jumbled up.

"Gyah!" she suddenly cried out, rubbing her hands through her hair. "I just don't get this stuff! It's like reading Greek!"

"They're Latin terms, mostly," Ayumi responded.

"Whatever, it's all the same! I swear, I'm never going to understand algebra! I'll probably flunk out and Sango will have to go to the community college all by herself while I sell cucumbers on the street corners to make money." She dropped her head on the notebook.

"Cucumbers?" Ayumi and Eri looked at each other.

"What's this?" Miroku asked. "Kagome struggles with math?"

"More like she sucks at it," Yuka said.

"Calm down, Kagome, it'll be fine," Sango said, "I'll bring you extra homework from the college so you can at least be learning something while you're selling cucumbers."

Kagome groaned. "Not funny."

"Quit whining," Inuyasha cut in. "You'll be fine."

Kagome gave him a forlorn look. "How do you know?"

"You're working on laws of cosines, right?" he said with a flick of the eye toward the notebook Kagome was laying on. "Well, two days ago we, er, _Kikyo_ and I were going over double-sided angle formulas and half-angle formulas for trig. Laws of cosines use the same rules only without all the shapes. You just have to look at it that way."

Kagome slowly sat up and looked down at the numbers in front of her.

"It's the same," she muttered to herself, "But without the shapes."

She picked up her pencil and started scratching at a problem. Everyone stared at Inuyasha then Kagome, waiting the outcome. She reached the end of the problem and quickly flipped the notebook for Ayumi to look at. Ayumi looked at it, Yuka and Sango leaning over her shoulder.

"Mhmm," Ayumi said with a smile. "That's the correct answer."

"See? Easy," Inuyasha said.

Unable to contain her excitement and relief, Kagome stood up so fast her chair fell over. "That's it! I can do this! It's like trigonometry, but without the shapes!"

"How in the heck is that the way it makes sense to her?" Yuka asked Sango quietly. "Doesn't that seem backwards?

"Beats me," Sango replied. "I barely understand trigonometry or algebra as it is."

"I can figure this out! I know what to do!" Kagome bopped a fist in her palm. "I know! Kikyo's notes from class! I'll borrow them from her locker!" She grabbed the notebook and her lunch. "If I pass this midterm exam it'll be nothing short of a miracle! Thank you, Inuyasha!" Then in a brash and hasty action fueled by the fires of learning, Kagome swooped down and kissed Inuyasha quickly on the cheek. Then she ran on, rice from her lunch trailing behind her. "I have to hurry before lunch is over! I'll see you guys later!"

The group at the table watched her run off with some surprise. Then they turned to Inuyasha. He was frozen, his chopsticks halfway to his open mouth.

Miroku waved a hand in front of him. "You still in there, Inuyasha?"

"Is he broken?" Ayumi asked.

"A tough guy like him, stilled by such a chaste kiss," Eri sighed dramatically.

Miroku took hold of Inuyasha's ramen cup and started pulling it out of his hand.

Inuyasha sprung back to life, smacking Miroku's hand away. "Don’t touch my food, Monk!”

"Ah," Miroku said enthusiastically, "He lives!"

The girls at the table giggled, and Inuyasha looked around at them with an awkward blush. Sango just watched with a frown and ate her food quietly.

* * *

Sango found Kagome by her locker when school ended and was mildly surprised to see Inuyasha leaning against the wall nearby. Her young friend proudly announced that she had done alright on her test, which Sango applauded. Yuka and Ayumi joined them then. Inuyasha seemed like he felt crowded, and was picked up a menacing expression to keep people from talking to him. It wasn't working very well. He tried walking away once, but Kagome pulled him back to the group.

Finally, the group split up as everyone headed separate ways home, pulling out umbrellas or running quickly to avoid the rain. Sango fell into step beside Kagome, Inuyasha few steps ahead of them.

"You don't want to walk with me?" Kagome asked Inuyasha, holding up her umbrella.

"Yeah, right, like I'd share with you," he replied, pushing his bangs out of his eyes as the rain fell on them.

"Fine, get wet, for all I care," Kagome said.

"It's just water."

"You'll get a cold."

"I don't get colds."

"Sure, Superman, whatever you say."

Despite their usual banter, Kagome had a small smile on her face. Oh, Sango wished she wasn’t about to ruin her friend’s good mood. She took a deep breath before moving closer, her umbrella bumping Kagome's.

"Should he be hanging around like this when you're Kagome?" Sango asked quietly.

"Hm?" Kagome raised her eyebrows, then looked at Inuyasha. "It can't be that bad, right? I mean, we're friends, too, it's not that odd that he might hang out with me when Kikyo's home sick. Besides, he doesn't have any friends. As much as he acted like he hated everyone hanging around today, I think he secretly liked it." Kagome giggled.

"Mmm," Sango said, looking up at the boy in front of them. She'd known Inuyasha for years. She had never been afraid of him and had even had a fist fight with him in middle school once before a teacher had broken it up. He had been a vicious kid who had irritated her, and as a teenager he'd only gotten mouthier and stronger. She had been nothing short of floored when Kikyo had started dating him. She hadn’t thought he would be the romantic type, let alone the kind of guy Kikyo would have liked. Yet Kagome befriending him wasn’t as surprising—Kagome was exactly the sort of person to try to see past the outside walls of someone. Just like she did with Sango, knowing she wasn't as tough and independent as she pretended to be.

That empathetic heart was what worried Sango.

"Kagome," Sango started, almost whispering now, the pelting of rain on their umbrellas hiding her words from anyone else's ears, "I…just want you to be careful. I don't mind Inuyasha being around since he doesn’t seem so bad lately, but I just want you to be aware that he could be, you know, rebounding."

Kagome blinked at her. "Rebounding?"

Sango nodded, trying to make her next words delicate. "Like you said, he doesn't have any friends. The only one he has is Kikyo. And right now, you're dressing and acting like her almost every day. I'm just saying he might be reaching out for other people and his feelings might be confused, so just be careful about taking his actions too much to heart."

Kagome looked back at her. Then her face slowly began turning to a frown. "You think the only reason he's—"

Sango quickly put a hand up to stop her. "I think he's your friend, but I also think he doesn't really know what that means, and I just don't want you to get hurt because he's acting familiar with you while he's missing Kikyo." Sango squeezed Kagome's shoulder. "I mean, I don't know everything in his head, but I just don't want you to get involved with someone who might ditch you as soon as your sister comes home. I just…you deserve so much better than that, Kagome. I want you to be happy."

Kagome's grip tightened on her umbrella, her head hanging enough that Sango couldn’t see her eyes beneath her hair. "I know you do. I…don't think he's rebounding. Heh, I don't think he even knows what that means. He's just…rebounding for human attention, I think. He needs someone, and I don't mind if that's me. But you're right." She smiled at Sango, and it about broke Sango’s heart. "That could get confusing. For me, at least. I'll be careful."

Sango nodded, hoping she had said the right thing.

"Hey!" Inuyasha called back to them from a few yards ahead. "If you two want to putz around in soggy socks all day then that's fine by me, but I'm leaving."

They walked in silence to the school gate, which was unusual, and Inuyasha turned to eye them both. Sango and Kagome merely smiled at him. He turned back around, satisfied.

Inuyasha was…not what Sango had thought he was before. His shoulders seemed heavier than a high schooler’s should have been, and the way he had followed Kikyo around like a puppy had been a bit sad. He did need the human attention, and Sango hoped he got it.

But not from Kagome. Kagome was her best friend, and she worried that the girl was falling for him, fast and hard and dangerously.

* * *

"Maybe he's not as persistent as we thought," Sango said.

"Perhaps," Miroku rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "But I doubt it. It's more likely that there is movement behind the scenes that we just can't see."

"Well, what can we do about that?" Sango asked.

"Nothing. Unfortunately, we're not in any position to act at all until something happens."

"I don't like the sound of that, Monk. What are our other options?"

"Well, I'm poking around as much as I can already with the help of some of my father's old contacts. But they can only work so fast while keeping a low profile from their coworkers _and_ Naraku."

"Ugh. I hate not knowing what's going on." Sango paused. "Kagome? Are you even listening?"

Kagome started, turning from the gray skies out the window to Sango and Miroku. "Huh?"

Sango sighed but Miroku turned to her and asked, "Are you doing all right, Kagome?"

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine,” she said.

"Your sister's going to be all right, Kagome," he assured her. "We'll make sure of it."

"I know." _I'll make sure of it._ "Don't worry, I'm keeping my eyes open. I'll let you know first thing if I see or hear anything."

Miroku rubbed the back of his neck. "Believe me, it bothers me just as much as you two that I can't do anything right now. Already, Naraku and his people are a step ahead of us and they don't even know who we are yet."

"Glad to know we're doing so well," Sango said sarcastically.

The three closed their private meeting and left the empty classroom. Miroku saw them to the front gate, and although Kagome was dressed like Kikyo today, Sango walked with her the next few blocks until they had to go their separate ways home.

Kagome made her way to the shrine slowly, rolling her head to stretch her neck. It was Wednesday. Two more days of school and then she didn't have to pretend to be Kikyo for the entire weekend. This would be the end of the fourth week of being Kikyo. When she had started it had seemed like such a risky thing to do, but after an entire month nothing had happened. She hoped that was good news. She hoped that when Kikyo called home this weekend she would say everything was well and Kagome could go to school as herself again.

The only good outcome was how much time she got to spend with Inuyasha. But she tried not to admit that out loud, for more reasons than one.

"I'm home!" she called through the door before dropping her shoes in the doorway.

"Welcome back!" her mother called.

Kagome wandered around the corner, pulling her straightened hair out of Kikyo's signature hairstyle. Feeling tired seemed to be a constant for her now, and she fell into a chair at the table heavily.

"Hey, mom," She said to Asako.

"Hi, sweetheart," Asako said, mixing lemonade together in a pitcher. "How was school?"

_Oh, you know. Full of conspiracy. I really wanted to hold my sister's boyfriend's hand today when he told me I did good on my trigonometry homework. Which isn't my homework, it's my sister’s, but she's on the run from a psycho. Which might mean that Inuyasha's lonely and rebounding and that kind of hurts._

"It was fine," Kagome replied.

"Kids!" her mother suddenly called loudly. "Snacks are ready!"

Footsteps came racing down the hallway. Sota burst into the room, followed by the tall, pale figure of Kohaku. Behind him was a short boy with a shock of orange hair and a wide smile.

"Kagome!" Shippo greeted, rushing around the table to hug Kagome.

Kagome smiled and hugged him back. "Shippo! How are you?"

"Excellent aaas always!" Shippo said, bouncing back to point his thumb at himself. "Guess who won the spelling bee today?"

" _Barely_ ," Sota said, taking a seat at the table.

"Wah, shut up, I did awesome!" Shippo climbed into the seat next to Kohaku, who nodded at Kagome politely.

Kagome raised her eyebrows when a little girl joined them at the table. She was younger than the boys, perhaps ten or eleven, with wide eyes and choppy brown hair. She wore the same school uniform as the others, although hers was obviously brand new.

"Hello, there," Kagome said to the girl. "I haven't seen you before. Who are you?"

"My name's Rin," said the girl with a small bow of her head, "Nice to meet you."

"Hi, Rin, I'm Kagome, Sota's sister."

"Sister?" Sota said, taking the drink his mother handed him, "She's just the monster we let live here."

Kagome kicked Sota under the table, which earned a cry from him and a warning look from her mother. "So do you go to school with these hooligans?" Kagome asked.

Rin nodded, holding her cup up for Asako to fill. "Yep, I just started there this week!"

"You made friends fast, didn't you?"

"We were friends already," Kohaku said. "We knew each other in the hospital."

Asako and Kagome looked at each other. "You met at the hospital?" Asako asked softly.

Rin and Kohaku nodded. Shippo and Sota ate their sandwiches obliviously.

"Yep!" Rin said with a smile. "Our beds were next to each other for two months!"

"Well, my goodness," Asako said, "I bet your parents are thrilled to have you home again."

"Oh, I don't have any parents,” Rin said.

"No parents?" Kagome asked, a her mother put a hand to her heart.

Rin shook her head. "Nope. I live with my guardian, Mr. Sesshomaru."

Kagome froze. "Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru Taiko?"

"Yep! Do you know him?"

"Uh, no. But I know his younger brother. So you're…living with Sesshomaru? And Inuyasha?"

"Uh-huh," Rin said, her mouth full of food.

"Since when?"

"Mmm, like a week, I guess."

Again, Asako and Kagome shared a look. "How's that going?" Kagome asked.

"Great! Mr. Sesshomaru is the best."

Kagome stared at her. Was she serious? From what she knew, Inuyasha's brother was a cold-hearted beast. She pictured the small, smiling girl alone in a house with only Inuyasha and a large, muscular, terrifying figure that she imagined to be Sesshomaru. Did Rin eat? Did she have a real bed? She looked healthy, and at least her clothes were new. Did she get any attention in that house? Or did she stay in her room most of the time while Inuyasha and his brother fought?

Why hadn't Inuyasha told her about this?

Kagome wasn't his girlfriend. She was barely his friend. But she felt a pang in her chest at being so obviously untrusted. She had thought…well, what had she thought? That they had gotten closer the last few weeks. They still fought just as often, but there were ok times, too. Times when he didn't look so harsh and when she thought she saw the ghost of a smile on his face when he turned away from her. Times when she thought he liked hanging out with her for her.

But maybe he was just rebounding. He needed her to be there, since no one else was.

"Well," Asako's voice was sweet but carried protective motherly tones, "You're welcome in our home anytime, Rin."

"Really?" Rin asked.

"Of course," Kagome said. "If you ever need anything, just let us know."

"Thanks! I will!" Rin beamed at her, a gap in her teeth and Kagome couldn't help but smile back.

Sota swallowed the last of his lemonade and jumped off his chair. "Hurry up, you guys, we have to get back to the game!"

Kohaku and Rin followed, and Shippo called out, "Uh, you guys! Wait for me!"

When the preteens were gone, Asako sat across from Kagome and poured a glass of lemonade for each of them.

"Well," Asako said, "That was interesting."

"No kidding." Kagome picked up her glass and swished around the liquid. Asako smiled at Kagome's melancholy expression.

"Maybe having that sweet little girl in the house will be good for those boys," Asako said.

"Maybe." She really had no idea. She didn't know very much about either of them, she realized.

Grandpa came home a while later with fresh food for dinner, which Asako asked Kagome to help her start. Kohaku, Rin, and Shippo went home, and the rest of the family sat down to dinner. Kagome was glad to talk about nothing but Sota's soccer games and Grandpa's back problems for a while. She headed upstairs as a rumble of thunder shook the sky outside. She stopped in Kikyo's room first.

A couple days after her sister had left, Kagome had unpacked her sister’s room, just to help keep up appearances. She dropped Kikyo's school bag on her bed, which was heavy with homework she would have to do before tomorrow. The blinds were closed, and Kagome turned on the lamp on top of the desk. From the outside, someone might think Kikyo was in there studying. She untucked her uniform shirt and reached for the school bag again when something caught her eye. There was a little white note on the pillow. What was that? Had her mother left something?

No. It wasn't her mother's handwriting. She stared at it blankly before snatching it up and tearing it open.

It read:

_I spy with my little eye, a girl who thinks she's being sly. -O_


	7. And the Walls Came Tumbling Down

April – Five months from the present

Inuyasha was used to being avoided. It wasn't a big deal. For as long as he could remember, everyone had avoided him. As the illegitimate son of Inutaisho Taiko, he wasn't exactly warmly welcomed into the family. Whatever. Like it mattered to him. It wasn't his fault everyone around him was a bigoted moron. Including every privileged brat in his school. He didn’t care that they avoided him. That they went out of their way to walk around him. That there were whispers behind his back when he passed by. It hadn't gotten better because he was dating Kikyo. In fact, the whispers had probably gotten worse. But Kikyo didn't care and neither did he. He was used to it.

But why in the heck was this girl seeking him out?

"I said hello," she repeated with a smile. "Usually you respond with 'hello' back."

He just looked down at her. She wasn't as pale as Kikyo, and her hair wasn't nearly as glossy and straight. And her smile—that was a huge difference. It was quick to appear and disappear with her emotions, wide and warm. It was confusing.

"Ok, well, you're talkative today," she said when he remained silent.

They were standing in the hallway, him leaning against his locker, her in front of him. Students were passing by. Usually they stared at him, but now they looked at the girl in front of him, wondering what she was doing talking to him. Some of them whispered to each other and he heard the name "Kikyo." Idiots. They couldn't even tell their beloved, honor student Kikyo from her kid sister.

"What do you want?" he said, more gruffly than he'd really intended.

She blinked. "I'm Kagome. You remember me, right?"

"Of course I do. You tried to run me over with your bike last week."

"Erk!" She blushed. Blushed? How could she wear her emotions so easily? "Ah, heheh, I'm sorry about that. It was an accident. You're healing, though, right?"

She had to know full well that his black eye and bruised knuckles were not from her hitting him with her bike. The bruises were yellowed now, but still visible. She kept smiling at him anyway. His eyes flicked toward her knee, where he could see a scab from the cut she herself had gotten from the bike crash. Not that she had mentioned it, yet. She was so odd.

"Can I help you, Junior?" he asked.

"Hey, not you too. I'm Kikyo’s sister, not her mini-me,” she said.

"Whatever."

" _Whatever_ yourself. My name's Kagome. Ka-go-me."

"Ok, Ka-go-me. What do you want? Or are you just here to bother me?"

She snorted and held up the bag she had in her hand. "Kikyo told me you usually wait for her after archery club practice."

"You got a problem with that?"

"No, geeze. Quit being so defensive."

" _Defensive_?"

"I was just wondering if you could bring her the dinner that I made her. She has that long archery meet today but my mother has to take my Grandpa to his chiropractor, and I have an assignment I need to make up. Will you bring it to her?"

He shrugged and took the bag from her.

"Thanks," she said with another smile before turning down the hall.

Geeze, this girl, turning him into an errand boy. Well, whatever. It was for Kikyo, after all. He glanced at the bag. Wasn't it kind of heavy? How much did Kikyo eat? He looked inside, only to see two lunchboxes.

"Hey!" he called out, startling several students who were walking by. They looked at each other, none of them brave enough to ask who he was talking to, but he was looking after Kagome. "Aren't one of these yours?"

"Nope," Kagome said with another smile. "One of them is yours."

What? Why? "I'm not paying you."

"I didn't ask you to. You'll have to tell me how Kikyo does in her meet later, ok?" Then she kept walking, a light skip in her step.

Inuyasha watched her disappear down the hall. He turned to the students who were still stopped in front of him. "What are you looking at?" They hurriedly moved on.

He looked into the bag again before pulling out one of the boxes. Popping the lid off he saw a brightly colored, tightly packed meal of rice, egg, and vegetables. He sniffed it. He closed the lid and pulled out the second one. It was exactly the same. One for him, one for Kikyo. He put the boxes back and looked at his forearm. Beneath his long sleeve there was still a bandage on his wrist from Kagome last week. Kikyo had always been kind to him, more so than anyone else he knew, but this was even stranger. Was this kindness? Or was this stupidity? Who went so out of their way for people they barely knew? He'd never known anyone like that. It sounded like insanity. He shook his head and headed down the hall.

Whatever. He had gotten dinner out of it, and somewhere in his chest he felt the small act of insanity tugging at him. Which just confused him more.

: : :

* * *

September – Present

He had been in her house.

It could have been one of his cohorts, like that woman Kagura or the man Naraku whom Miroku disliked so much. But Kagome thought Onigumo was just the sort of obsessed sicko that would come himself. Had her mother been home? Had Grandpa? Had _she_ been home? How long had the note been waiting? All day? A few minutes?

She pictured a dark figure wandering silently through her house, looking at family photos, smelling Kikyo's things, passing the dining room as they ate dinner…

She felt violated. She felt unsafe. She felt like she was being watched.

The note crinkled in her fingers as she unwittingly tightened her grip. She stepped back, then again.

The house wasn't safe. The walls and locked doors hadn't kept Onigumo out. If he had wanted to, he could have set the whole building on fire, like he had done to the store of that family a few years ago. And just like then, her family could have gone up in flames.

Who was this note for? She wasn’t sure if the sly girl it mentioned was Kikyo for running away, or Kagome for pretending to be her. And right now, she couldn't stop to think about it logically. Kikyo's room abruptly felt small, crowded, and vulnerable.

She was back downstairs in seconds. She stood at the bottom of the stairs, listening to the voices of her mother and grandfather talking in the kitchen while cleaning up, and the TV in the family room, where Sota was. Would Onigumo come back to burn them all? No, that would be stupid. Then would leave him with no leverage would he have to force Kikyo to do what he wanted. He would have some other plan, Kagome was sure. He had seen every nook and cranny, every left out sock and shoe, every old rusting hinge of their home.

She couldn't stand looking at any of it. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Like a dream, she saw herself taking her shoes and leaving the house.

* * *

"What's fifty-six times fifteen?" Rin asked.

"What?" Inuyasha said.

"Fifty-six times fifteen. What's the answer?"

"Eight hundred and forty."

Rin nodded and wrote it down. Inuyasha watched her swinging her feet at the kitchen table, finishing up homework, before he turned back to the sink. He wasn't really doing the dishes, he was just trying to look busy. In reality, he was keeping a close eye on the door to Sesshomaru's office. That woman was here again, and he was sure they were talking about something important. Inuyasha had come home early the last few days in hopes of picking up some sort of idea about who she was and what they were up to.

He had thought the kid was a joke. Surely Sesshomaru hadn't actually brought home a small girl to live with them. Sesshomaru sucked as a guardian, Inuyasha should know. Because of his father's stupid will, he had been forced to live with his brother since he was eight, and since then he'd had to fend for himself. No home cooked meals, no one helping with his homework, no one even checking to see if he'd made it home safely. Heck, he had considered himself lucky if Sesshomaru ignored him rather than telling him he was the filthy, unwanted son of the Taiko family. Which Sesshomaru must have felt obligated to remind him of often.

Yet here Rin was. New shoes. A cell phone, "just in case." Sesshomaru had even gotten his assistant, Jaken, to stock the kitchen with food, and not just ramen and chips, like what Inuyasha kept in there. Sesshomaru still wasn't a doting parent by any means, but Inuyasha had seen him emerge more in the last week when Rin was around than he had in the last month. What the hell? Who was this girl? Why did Sesshomaru care more about her than he ever had about his own brother?

And who was that woman that kept coming, the one that made Kagome nervous?

"Ta-da!" Rin said, lifting her pencil. "All done." She swiped her notebooks into her backpack. Inuyasha ignored her as she skipped out of the kitchen and into the living room. Until she turned on the TV. Dang it. Well, now even if he wanted to go eavesdrop, he wouldn't be able to hear over the sound of sparkling cartoon princesses and theme music. She'd been here a week and he was already sick of everything pink and glittery. Inuysha headed back to his room.

He paused momentarily when he heard a knock at the door, but Rin piped, "I'll get it!" so he kept going. Good. He didn't want to deal with any more of Sesshomaru's pretentious, awful acquaintances. He was just about to disappear into his room when he heard Rin say, "Hi, Kagome!"

Wait.

Sure enough, Kagome's voice wafted down the hall: "Hi, Rin! I'm glad you made it home safe."

"Yeah, Kohaku walked me home," Rin said.

"That's nice."

Immediately, Inuyasha was heading back down the hallway. Down the front hall he could see Rin standing in the cracked doorway.

"Are you here to see Sesshomaru?" Rin asked.

"Uh, actually, I was wondering if—"

Inuyasha swung the door wide open. On the other side was Kagome, who jumped and looked up at him with wide eyes. She was still in her uniform, her hair down from her Kikyo ponytail.

"Inuyasha," she said breathlessly.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. No one from school had ever, _ever_ been to his house before. Not even Kikyo. Especially not Kikyo. It wasn't exactly the warm and fuzzy place he wanted to show friends. So it was a good thing he didn't have any friends.

Well, except now. And here was his one friend, standing in front of him, totally uninvited. He might have been irritated, he might have been embarrassed, but mostly he was confused. She always confused him.

"Oh, uh, I was just in the area and I felt like stopping by and…uh…um…" she stammered off, her smile slowly sinking until she had to purse her lips together. "Uh, sorry, I just…" And then her eyes filled with tears.

As if by lightning, Inuyasha was struck where he stood. She quickly wiped at her face, taking a step back, and he felt like something in him had been burned.

She was crying. Why. Why was she crying. Kagome didn't cry. She was crying on his doorstep. Why here. Was it his fault. Why was she crying. Kagome didn’t cry. No. Why was she _here_.

"Kagome…?" Rin looked puzzled.

"Ah, sorry!" Kagome said, smiling at her, but her movements were too jerky, too strange. She was still taking steps backward. "I'll just go."

Behind him, beyond the TV that was still playing, he heard Sesshomaru's office door open and low voices. That snapped him out of it.

"Rin," he said hurriedly, "Don't tell Sesshomaru she was here."

Rin hesitated but with another look at Kagome she nodded. Inuyasha shut the door, crossed the two steps to the surprised Kagome, grabbed her wrist, and quickly led her away from the house.

"Wait, Inuyasha! Where are we going?" she asked as he pulled her down the block.

"Keep moving," was all he said. He wouldn't stop until they were out of sight of the house. He knew if that woman came out and saw her it probably wouldn’t be a good thing.

The sun was setting, but the sky was still covered with clouds, giving everything a dim gray glow. Rounding a corner, Inuyasha stopped in the shadow between two high fences, letting go of her hand to face her. They looked at each other, their breathing a bit fast from their quick escape.

"What's wrong? Are you in trouble?" he asked.

And then her face crumpled. Her eyebrows drew in and her lips pursed. She put a hand over her mouth and dropped her gaze to the ground as a sob escaped. Tears trailed down her face one after the other and her shoulders began to shake.

Oh, hell. He didn’t know what to do. He'd never had a girl crying _to_ him and not _because_ of him. He said more firmly, "Kagome, what's wrong? If you're in trouble I need you to talk to me."

She shook her head.

"What, you won't tell me?"

She shook her head again.

He growled in the back of his throat. "Damn it, Kagome. Then why are you here?"

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice muffled by her hand and choked by emotion. "I didn't mean to-to bother you…I just…Just wanted to…s-see you…I'm sorry, I'm…s-stupid."

Again, he felt like had been struck. He looked down at the girl in front of him, her dark hair falling around her shoulders in a frizzy mess, tears streaming down her face that she wiped at over and over. She had come because she wanted to see him. She had come because she was upset and she wanted to see him. She wanted to. See him.

Why?

His stomach hurt. His arms itched. He felt like speaking and shutting up, moving forward and running away all at the same time. But he also felt—what did he feel? Bigger, somehow. Honored. She had come to _him_ for help. And more than anything, he found that watching her cry was unbearable.

Carefully, very carefully, he reached up and wrapped his fingers around her wrists, pulling her hands from her face. She opened her eyes to look at him, her cheeks red, her thin eyebrows pulled together. He lowered his face so it was on her level.

"Kagome," he said, as softly as he could, "Are you ok?"

She blinked at him once, then twice. Then she slid her arms around his neck so quickly and so effortlessly that he was still wondering what had happened thirty seconds later.

He stood stone still, his mind blank of anything except the weight and heat of her against him. For months, he’d had frightening little touches of Kagome, but nothing like this. He could feel it—some barrier inside of him had just come crashing down. It was terrifying.

Her shoulders were shaking and her fingers dug into him as she grabbed fistfuls of his shirt. He stirred from his stupor enough to know he couldn’t just stand there. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her gently. Then that wasn't good enough. He tightened his grip and buried his nose in her hair until he found the warm, bare skin of her neck to breath against. He might have been squeezing her too tight, but she hadn't complained yet, and somehow, he felt that if he could just hold her close enough it might fix everything that had ever been wrong with the world.

She held him back just as tightly and cried.

* * *

There were a thousand tiny things piling up in her life. Yesterday, their weight had finally become too much, and she'd embarrassingly broken down in front of Inuyasha. With all of that, with all of the fear and paranoia and mystery, she did not need this added stress. This, in fact, was the last thing she needed.

"Here, Kikyo," a girl said to her, handing her a long, slender wooden bow. Next to her was a quiver of arrows with feathered ends, easy for her to reach down and pull out.

Kagome stared beyond the wooden platform of the archery range, across the green grass, to the targets lined up on the far side. Kikyo's archery uniform didn’t fit right—the billowing pants were too long, and the black vest fit a little too snug over the white kimono top. The leather gloves felt strange on her fingers. _How_ , she thought again, _did I get here?_

"Don't worry," the girl smiled. "You might be out of practice since you've been gone so long, but you'll find yourself settling into it like usual. You've never let us down before, Kikyo!"

"Eh heh, right…" Kagome said as the girl stepped back.

The girl was in a matching uniform. On either side of her was a boy and another girl in matching archers’ uniforms. Already they were drawing their bowstrings back, letting arrow fly at the targets and hit with a solid _thunk._ None of them were watching her, but there were a couple first year girls at the back of the range who were definitely whispering about the great Archer Kikyo.

She had managed to avoid this for weeks, but today Kikyo's teammates had sprung on her as she was trying to catch Sango, to tell her that she needed to talk to her and Miroku. The archers had talked so fast and so urgently, Kagome had found herself dragged down to the shooting range before she knew it.

Worst of all, she knew that over her left shoulder, standing in the corner by himself, was Inuyasha.

Dang it, why was he here, too? He hadn't needed to follow her. Now she would just feel like an even bigger idiot. He would make fun of her for days after this.

On the other hand, maybe he wouldn't. He was acting kind of odd today. Not that she could blame him. She'd stalked him to his house and then cried all over him for nearly an hour last night. Remembering it made her feel silly, her cheeks heating up at the ghost memory of his arms crushing her to him, the smell of him suffocating her pleasantly. She tried not to read anything from it but kindness.

He hadn’t said anything about it then, or even acknowledged it today, except that he seemed to be more quiet than usual. She nervously glanced back at him, then scoffed. He wasn't even watching. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded and his eyes closed. Well, good. There would be less witnesses to her humiliation.

“Alright, here goes,” she said aloud, psyching herself up.

The bow was surprisingly heavy. She had seen Kikyo lift it for hours at a time during a competition like it was nothing. Kagome knocked an arrow, trying to look like she knew what she was doing. She had to try twice before she managed to pull the bowstring back to her ear, her arm shaking with the effort. She barely had enough time to squint at the target and pray that the arrow would at least go in that general direction.

A solid _thunk_ echoed back to her.

There, on the side of the target, the shaft of her arrow stuck out of the ring farthest from the center.

"I…I hit it," she said numbly.

"Of course," the girl said beside her. "I'd expect nothing less from Kikyo Higurashi, even after a month of missing practice. You'll be back to your usual points by this afternoon, I'm sure."

The girl walked away and Kagome carefully knocked another arrow. Pulling it back, she took a deep breath, this time trying hard to focus on the bull's eye. She let the arrow go, striking the target again. It was on the opposite side as her first arrow and not inside any rings, but she'd hit it again. She quickly knocked another arrow.

Not all of her arrows hit—a few went far astray—but most of them did. One even came within a few inches of the center. Even the few others practicing nearby didn't hit it every time. She was…she was…kind of good at this.

After months of trying clubs and teams, she had found something she was decent at. Of course, it was archery. _Of course,_ it was _Kikyo's_ sport.

She couldn’t get out of Kikyo’s shadow, no matter how hard she tried.

Lunch was nearly over when Kagome found herself alone in the archery range. Breathing hard, she wiped sweat from her forehead with a shaky hand. Her arms would be sore for days. She almost didn't feel it when Inuyasha touched her shoulder. She looked up at him in surprise.

His eyes were directed toward the side door of the range. Kaede, the matronly archery coach, was there, her wise and wrinkled face expressionless. She was looking at Kagome, her hands held behind her back.

Kagome turned away, lifting her quiver with some effort. Kaede knew both Kagome and Kikyo—she had been to their house to pick up her grandson, Shippo, plenty of times. She'd even stayed for dinner before, and she knew Kikyo well after spending hours coaching her. If she got too close, she might recognize that Kagome was not actually Kikyo.

"Let's go," Inuyasha said.

They left the open platform and headed to the room where Kagome had left her things.

"You seemed to be having fun," Inuyasha said offhandedly.

"Eh? Oh. I kind of was." She smiled a little to herself.

"You going to join the archery team for real once you give up this Kikyo thing?"

"…No."

"Why not? You weren't half bad."

"How do you know? I thought you weren’t watching."

He shrugged, still avoiding looking at her.

"Anyway, I don't think so. I mean, it was kind of fun, but…this is Kikyo's thing. I don't want to take it from her. Besides, I’d never be as good as her,” she said.

She felt him turn to her then, but she kept her eyes forward. She didn’t need him pitying her even more than he already did.

After a moment, he said, "So she might be better than you, so what? There are people who are better than Kikyo, too. There's always someone better than you out in the world. Doesn't mean you shouldn't do what you want to."

She stopped walking.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh. Nothing. It's just," she smiled and kept walking. "You’re being really nice to me today.” Probably because he was afraid she’d break down crying again. It was nice, though.

His shoulders inched up uncomfortably and he looked away with a red-faced scowl. "I'm always nice."

She giggled.

She told Inuyasha to go on ahead before hurrying to change in the locker room. Pulling on her uniform, she lamented that her carefully straightened hair was returning to its natural wave after sweating. She left the locker room with a bang and started across the field to the school.

"Ms. Higurashi."

Kagome turned.

It was that woman in red again. Kagura Wasanbi. Her sunglasses were in her hand and she looked down at Kagome with almond shaped, dark brown eyes.

"Sorry for the disturbance," Kagura said. Her voice was surprisingly low for such a slender woman. "But I'd like you to come with me, Ms. Higurashi."

Kagome swallowed, then followed her gaze toward the school fence. On the other side was a long black car with tinted windows. It looked fancy—Kagome had rarely seen anything like that, let alone ridden in one.

"Um, I don't think so. I have class," Kagome answered.

"Oh, no," Kagura replied with a slight curl of her red lips, "I wasn't asking."

The driver's door of the car swung open and a tall, bald man stepped out. He was in a suit that barely fit over his large muscles.

Kagome looked back toward the school, her heart pounding in her ears. The field was empty. She wished she hadn't sent Inuyasha ahead of her. Of course, this had to be the one day he was feeling bad for her and was actually following orders. Dang it.

"Don't worry," Kagura said, resting a hand on Kagome’s shoulder. Her grip wasn't rough, but her nails were sharp. "We won't hurt you. We'll take you by force if we have to, but I promise you'll be returned in one piece. Mr. Naraku simply wishes to speak with you."

Kagome's fists clenched but she didn't kick up a fight or try to run. That muscle head could probably catch her in seconds.

Besides, beneath the rising bile and fear in her throat, she had the strongest sense of morbid curiosity. Naraku wanted to talk to her. Onigumo's boss, the elusive con man, wanted to talk to her. And despite the prospect of danger, she also knew that this was more information than Miroku, and Miroku's father, a renowned detective, had ever had on the man. She was walking into the dragon's lair, and it might be their only chance to find out anything about him.

She wished she still had the bow and arrows. Then at least she'd feel armed and if worse came to worse, she could send an arrow through the man's heart. She swallowed hard, sending a silent prayer to the gods of the shrine she helped care for, and allowed herself to be led to the car.

* * *


	8. Kiss and Tell

July – One month before the present

Kagome was surprised to see him here. Street festivals like this didn't really seem like his scene. Back alleys were more his scene. Especially in that red leather jacket and black t-shirt he liked to wear when he wasn't in his school uniform—he stuck out like a sore thumb on a stool at a ramen booth, between an old couple and a mother and child. Lone wolf vibes drifted off of them, and they all leaned away from him warily.

He was here. And she had thought that she wouldn't be able to see him during the summer break. Her feet carried her through the crowd to him before she could stop herself. That was normal, right? They were friends? She shook the doubts out of her head. They seemed to be piling up more often recently, and she knew that forcing herself to answer those questions in the positive was a sign that there was something going on in her head that shouldn't.

She tapped his shoulder lightly, and when he turned around with a sneer to tell her off she grinned. "Hey! Fancy meeting you here!"

He blinked, then rolled his eyes. "What, I don't see enough of you, now you're stalking me during summer break?"

"I'm stalking you?" She snorted, a hand on her hip. "Please. I'm here with friends. You're the one skulking around by yourself."

"Skulking? Don't be an idiot. I'm patronizing this ramen stand. _You're_ the one harassing me."

She pouted, frowning at him as he ate. She pushed his elbow a little as he brought a piece of food to his mouth, making him miss and bump it against his cheek. He turned to glare at her with sauce on his face.

She smiled sweetly. "Careful there! Wouldn't want food in your pretty hair, right?" She took a napkin from the counter and reached it toward his face. He snatched it out of her hand and wiped his cheek, glaring at her the whole time. She just kept smiling. Behind him, she saw the young mother put a hand to her lips, holding in a laugh. The old couple was smiling at them too, their wary looks toward Inuyasha completely gone.

"Like I said. Harassment," Inuyasha said.

A touch on Kagome's shoulder made her turn to the old couple.

"Here, dear," the old woman said with a smile, "We're finished. You can sit by your boyfriend."

"Oh, he's not—"

"She's _not_ my—"

"Have a good evening," the old man said over them, leading his wife away.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes again, but surprisingly say anything more. Kagome raised her eyebrows at him, then coughed away a little smile. She hopped onto the stool next to him, asking, "So, what are you doing here?"

"I'm eating,” he deadpanned.

"Duh. What are you doing at the festival? Kikyo's not here, right? She said she had something to do tonight."

"What, I'm not allowed to go places if she's not there?"

"No, you idiot, I'm just saying you could have told me and come with me."

"With you? So you could harass me all night?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, why are you so annoying?"

"This is just how I am, deal with it." He glanced at her. "What are you doing with that?"

She looked down at the large camera around her neck. "It's the school's—I'm borrowing it."

"For what?"

"The photography club said I could take it home for a few days over the break. It's digital, so I shouldn't have issues accidentally exposing the film, like with my mom's camera." She didn't bother telling him that that was an issue she knew first hand. He didn't need any more fuel to tease her.

"Since when are you in the photography club?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'm not. I just thought I'd try it out and see if I liked it."

"You seem to be doing that a lot lately." He slurped another bite of noodles into his mouth and said with his mouth full, "What's the deal with that?"

Oh, he'd noticed. She always thought he was too busy trying to look broody or following Kikyo around to notice anything she was doing. "It's just something I've wanted to do—I figured it would be cool if I could find a club to join. Something that defines me."

He snorted. "What for? As if you need anything else to define you. You're already the weirdest person I know."

"Says the guy with long hair eating ramen by himself."

"I'm not by myself anymore, unfortunately."

Kagome watched the crowd pass by them. Everyone was boisterous, laughing and talking, booth owners calling out, the sounds of food cooking and games being played. She smiled around at them, then up at the red lanterns strung up over them. Beyond those were the stars, washed out by the lights of the city in the distance.

"There's something about festivals like this, isn't there?" she said wistfully. "They're so cozy. It's like everyone lights up when they get to visit a festival together."

"Huh," was all Inuyasha said. "I wouldn't know. This is my first festival."

"Eh? Really?" Kagome turned to him in surprise. "Even when you were a kid?"

He shrugged, pinching his noodles with his chopsticks. "My mom was always too sick to come to these things. Then she died."

"Oh." She couldn't think of anything else to say. Should she say sorry? Should she pat his shoulder? She didn't think he would take well to sympathy like that. She said instead, "So what brought you out for this one?"

"Well, _someone_ kept going on and on last week about how amazing it was and how she wanted festival food. Besides, Kikyo was busy so I didn't have anything better to do."

She blinked, then her smile widened. "Well, that girl sounds like a pretty smart person. Probably beautiful and wise, too. Good thing you listened to her."

He snorted, but it almost sounded like laughter. "I dunno about all that, but as least she was right about the food."

Kagome paused. He was looking into his bowl at the last bits of broth and noodles, but there was a small smirk on his face. Not a rude, condescending smirk, either. It was nearly a smile. Her heart skipped a beat.

Then, in a devilish moment, she subtly turned on the camera around her neck. "Inuyasha," she said.

He turned over his shoulder to look at her with those amber eyes she liked so well, the smirk still playing on his lips. Then she snapped a picture.

The smirk quickly became a scowl. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Just commemorating the moment. That's what cameras are for, right?" she said.

"Give me that!" He reached for her camera, but she quickly twisted off the stool, dodging out of his way.

"Well, I had better catch up with my friends! Enjoy the food!" She waved and disappeared into the crowd as he called after her, but he was stopped from chasing by the ramen stall owner, who reminded him he hadn't paid yet.

Kagome dodged through the crowds quickly, laughing to herself. When she was sure she was safely out of sight, she picked up the camera and flipped back to the most recent picture.

Gosh, he was beautiful.

She immediately shook her head and turned the camera off. _Quit thinking stupid things_ , she told herself. She moved on through the crowd, walking slower than before.

She couldn't keep that picture. That would be selfish of her, and only make her feel guilty. She would have to give it to Kikyo. But she knew in her heart whenever she saw it she would remember that for one moment his smile had been only for her.

: : :

* * *

September – Present

Miroku twisted his pencil around in his fingers, bored. Class hadn't started yet, so there were still a few side conversations as students filed in. Miroku didn’t care much about ancient history. He preferred the social studies and political sciences. Already he was ignoring everyone else and flipping through thoughts in his head, trying to make connections, opening hypothetical doors and poking his nose through to see where it could take him.

He had a pragmatic mind, he supposed. His uncle was constantly telling him he reminded him of his late father, but Miroku didn't see how that would do him any good if he couldn't be smarter, if he couldn't be quicker than his father had been. His father had made one wrong move, had let Naraku get ahead of him, and had been ruined for it. Almost completely mad, he had left Miroku with a friend of the family, his "uncle", and left. They'd had word a few years later that he had died, alone in an old hotel room. Over dose, they had said, but Miroku couldn't help but wonder. His father had never stopped hunting Naraku, and it was possible that the con man had done something to get rid of him for good.

Now Miroku couldn't believe that Naraku had basically fallen into his lap. This mess with Kagome and her sister and Onigumo was madness. Sango and her family were in trouble, too. Looking around at his fellow, laughing students, Miroku wondered just how many of them were also somehow affected by Naraku or his group. His grip on his pencil tightened with hate and he clenched his teeth. He would do something. He would be the one to bring Naraku down.

"I can't believe it," a girl said a few seats away from Miroku. "Is she a secret celebrity, for real?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," her friend replied. "She's not like anyone else in school, is she?"

"She's so beautiful. I wish I was half as perfect as she was."

"Not me. She spends way too much time studying. It seems boring to be her, despite how popular she is."

"Who are you guys talking about?" someone else asked.

"Kikyo Higurashi."

"Should have figured."

"What, we can't help it. She's amazing. And lately she's been so friendly. Yesterday she remembered that I was worried about my English exam, and she wished me good luck. She's never done that before. How nice is that?"

"Weren't we talking about the festival next week a minute ago? What got you to Kikyo all of a sudden?"

"I saw her out the window a second ago," the first girl said. "She got into this super fancy car with this tall beautiful woman in a wicked red outfit."

Miroku's thoughts froze. He turned toward the group of students, but before he could ask anything, there was a sudden loud clatter.

Inuyasha had stood so abruptly that his chair had fallen back. He was looking out the window, stone still, veins showing on his wrists form his clenched fists. Everyone watched, their conversations forgotten, as he snapped his head in the direction of the girls who had been gossiping. The first girl who had been speaking looked panicked as Inuyasha stomped toward her.

"What did you say?" he demanded.

"I-I'm sorry, I wasn't talking bad about Kikyo, I promise—"

"Which way did it go?"

"…What?" she asked.

" _The car_. Which way did it go?" Inuyasha said again, a snarl so dark on his face he looked feral.

"U-um, t-that way. Toward town,” the girl pointed a shaky finger.

Inuyasha spun on his heel, leaving the classroom with a slam of the door. No one spoke. Miroku stood and stepped over to the girl, who was holding her heart and being comforted by her friends.

"My," Miroku said with a smile down at her. "He's a rather passionate fellow, isn't he?"

"Miroku," the girl said with a sigh of relief.

"Not to worry, Sana," he said with a reassuring pat on her shoulder. "He's not as bad as he seems. Will you do me a favor?"

"Sure, Miroku, anything."

"Will you say 'here' when the teacher calls my name? I'm afraid I'm not feeling too well. I'm headed to the nurse's office."

"Of course."

"Thank you, my dear." He took her hand and kissed it, leaving her blushing as he exited the classroom. As soon as the door was shut behind him he quickened his pace, whipping his phone out and hurrying down the hall in the wake of Inuyasha.

* * *

The man across from Kagome was not what she had been expecting.

What _had_ she been expecting? A thug. A psychopath. Not someone…handsome.

Naraku would have been tall if he'd been standing. As it was his long legs were crossed, his shiny black shoes flashing as sunlight came in through the tinted windows. The suit he wore looked expensive and sleek, with a black collared shirt and a deep purple tie. His hair fell in long waves, well taken care of and clean. His skin was pale, and his eyelashes were long, but his handsomeness was ruined by such a disturbing, small smile.

"Kagome," he said to her, his voice smooth and deep. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

She swallowed, watching him with as brave an expression as she could muster. "I don't know that I can say the same." _At least Onigumo isn't here_ , she thought. The disgusting, creepy man would have freaked her out even more than this. "What do you want?"

"To talk, of course. Get to know you a little better,” Naraku said.

"Good luck. I'm not saying anything I don't want to."

"Fair enough." He began tapping his finger against his knee. "Did you think you could really fool me with that little act?"

"It must have for a while. Otherwise what took you so long to have this conversation?"

"Hardly. I knew right away you weren't Kikyo."

He had? How? Had Naraku met Kikyo before, too? Why hadn't Kikyo mentioned anyone but Onigumo? The information could have been useful beforehand.

He continued, "My associates, however, weren't as…astute." His eyes flicked toward Kagura, who was riding in the front seat. The fan Kagura had been waving at herself snapped shut at Naraku's warning tone. Naraku turned back to Kagome. "I simply had some business out of town that kept me away for a while. Some…old friends I had to visit."

"Old friends, huh? What did you do, demand money they owed you and then let Onigumo burn their house down? That's your M.O., right?" It was probably not the right tone of voice to be using on a man like Naraku, but Kagome couldn't help it. She tried not to hate people as a general rule, but she could feel that resolve had dissipated as soon as she had gotten into the car.

The corner of his smile twitched. "So, Kikyo's in Kotsui. Clever girl, hiding herself away in the mountains. Too bad she left her little sister behind in the way of trouble."

Kagome didn't respond. She clenched her fists, feeling the blisters that were beginning to form on her fingers from the string of her bow. The small prick of pain helped keep her from panicking.

"You do have contact with Kikyo, I presume?" he asked.

"Maybe. What about it? I'm not relaying any messages to her from Onigumo,” Kagome said.

Again, his smile twitched. "You're rather stubborn, aren't you? Don't you realize the position you're in?"

She was terrified, but she couldn't let him know that. She gripped her school bag tightly, focusing more on her anger than her fright. "Tsk. You don't scare me. What are you going to do, hold me for ransom? Force her to come home so your creepy little henchman can have her?"

"Hmm," he said, reaching for the pitcher and glasses that sat on a small table in the side of the car. He poured a glass, the car driving so smoothly he didn't spill a drop. He offered the glass to Kagome, and when she didn't take it he set it in the cup holder at her side. Then he poured a glass for himself and sipped it, as if proving it was safe to drink.

"Well, then, Kagome, it seems we have two options. The first being that you, like the good and loving sister that you are, tell Kikyo that we miss her very much. We'd like her to come home. If she wanted to study medicine so badly, she should have just asked. I can provide her with anything she needs, and I'd be happy to do so if she would only come to me,” Naraku said.

"As _if_ I'd ever ask her to come home. You're a creep with creepy coworkers. I'd never let you get your hands on her."

His smile twitched again. She was beginning to wonder if it was some sort of tick. Or if she was just good at getting on his nerves. "You are a bit of a spitfire yourself, aren't you, Kagome? Not as beautiful as Kikyo, but still very nice to look at."

Uh-oh. She didn't like the way he was looking at her now.

"With some proper training to control that mouth of yours, you could be almost as good to have." He shifted toward her, and her panic spiked out the roof. She inhaled sharply, grabbed the glass of water, and threw it in his face.

Oh. Gosh.

What had she done?

She froze with the glass still in her hand, her heart hammering wildly, her blood thick and cold. Water dripped down Naraku's face and soaked through the front of his dark suit. He opened his eyes slowly, his eyelashes wet. If she had thought his eyes were malicious before, now they were murderous.

Before she could even swallow, he had lunged across the car and grabbed her face. He leaned over her, his face close to hers, one hand on the back of her seat. His other hand gripped her cheeks hard, pinching them against her teeth, forcing her head back against the headrest. She might have screamed if her voice hadn't been stuck in her throat.

"You," he spat, his voice a low hiss, "May just be the _stupidest_ girl I've ever met. I can hardly believe there is any relation between you and Kikyo."

His fingers in her cheeks were so hard they felt like knives. His face was close enough that a drop of water slid off his nose and fell near her lips. She had grabbed his wrist, but her strength was nothing compared to his. Glaring up at him, she dug her nails into his skin the best she could.

"Kikyo's disobedience is one thing," he said, his smile widening, "But I don't have the patience to deal with the likes of _you_. So, it's fine by me if you'd like to do things the hard way. I would love to rip you apart in a thousand pieces and _burn_ you. And believe me, I will. I will light you up from the inside out, I will throw everything you love into the inferno and let you watch. And then you will be singing a different tune—then you will be _begging_ me for what you want. And I would love," his eyes left hers to look her up and down in a way that made her feel as though she were completely exposed, "To watch you beg."

Kagome blinked. Her voice was barely above a whisper it was so trapped in her terrified chest, "You're…you're Onigumo…?"

He said nothing. Then his grip on her face loosened and he sat back in his own seat. He crossed his legs, still not bothering to wipe the water off his face.

"Goshinki, stop the car," he said, his voice returned to the same calm tone he had started with.

The car slowed and Kagome straightened, resisting the urge to rub her aching cheeks.

"I would suggest," Naraku said, "That you tell Kikyo that I am expecting her. Immediately. You will find your life a lot more…pleasant if you do. Kikyo knows she is mine. It is time for her to be finished with these little games."

Kagome swallowed, not daring to say anything. The car stopped and Kagura got out of the front seat. She opened the back door for Kagome. "Let's go."

Kagome carefully scooted past Naraku to reach the door. He didn't look at her, but had instead pulled out his phone and was typing away at it as though she weren't there. Kagome hopped out of the car quickly. Kagura, shut the door. She looked at Kagome with an unreadable expression before getting back in the passenger's seat. Then the car pulled away down the street.

Kagome took a step before her knees gave way. She fell to the sidewalk, her hands shaking, her finger tips cold, despite the sun that shone down on her. She glanced around, pulling her school bag to her chest as though it were armor. Where was she? Some random, normal looking street a few miles from the edge of downtown. There were houses a few yards away, quiet and happy looking. She sat on the cement and just breathed, glad that her lungs still worked and that her body was still intact.

Her heart rate calmed and her panic subsided to leave a heavy, numb feeling. Slowly she reached up and pulled her hair out of its ponytail, letting it fall around her shoulders. Trying to look like Kikyo wouldn't do her any good now.

Kikyo was in danger. She was in danger. Her family was in danger. From a man that she had now met first hand. Onigumo was Naraku. He wasn't just some manic lackey, he was the boss. What had Kikyo gotten herself into? What had _Kagome_ gotten herself into?

What now?

She wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her chin on them. The sun washed over her along with the sounds of the day—a bird overhead, a car driving down a side street. Maybe if she stayed here forever, then everything would become a dream. She'd disappear into the sidewalk, beneath the ants and the sun and the wind. Nothing would matter then.

She paused when she felt a vibration from inside her bag. Slowly she reached into it and pulled out her phone.

32 missed calls. 15 missed texts.

Oh, boy. She'd been gone almost an hour now. She wondered who had figured it out. Sango would be panicking. Miroku would be worried. She hoped no one had called her mom. Then again, she kind of wished someone had. She needed her mother right now.

As she held the phone it buzzed again, and Inuyasha's name popped up on the screen.

Inuyasha?

She answered it. "Hello?"

" _Finally_ ," he snapped. "Where in the _hell_ are you?"

"Um," she looked down the street. "I'm a couple blocks from downtown. Ah, there's a street sign near me. I'm on Nanajima.”

"Who's with you?" he asked.

"No one. I'm alone now."

"Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm ok."

"What did they do to you?"

"Nothing. We just…talked," her voice cracked. She leaned her forehead back on her knees, squeezing her eyes shut. "Will you do me a favor, Inuyasha?"

"What?" he said, sounding almost breathless.

"Will you keep talking?"

"What?"

"Keep talking. I'm just…really happy to hear your voice." She was glad her face was hidden so no one would be able to see how weak her smile was if they wandered by. She held the phone tighter. "I was so scared."

"…Kagome…"

"Sorry. Just, talk about something. Anything. I don't care."

"I'll talk to you all you want when you're safe at home, you idiot."

She sighed, pressing her head to her knees harder, her hair falling in curtains all around her. "It'll take ages for me to get there." She didn't tell him it was because her legs were still shaking. "Can you just talk now? Tell me how your test went."

"I didn't take my test, thanks to a certain someone who got taken off school property because she _stupidly_ doesn't tell me _anything_ ,” he said.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I'll tell the teacher some excuse. He'll let you take it later."

"Shut up, you idiot, I don't care about that!"

She paused. His voice had sounded odd. She had heard it through the phone, but it had also sounded like it had come from…nearby.

She lifted her head slowly, her hair falling in her eyes as she looked down the street.

Inuyasha stood there, his tie loose on his uniform shirt and sweat sliding down the side of his face. He was breathing hard as he stared down at her, his phone still held up to his ear.

Her lips parted in surprise. "Inuyasha…"

"You idiot!" He shoved his phone into his pocket and he crossed to her, grabbing her arm roughly and pulling her to her feet. His eyes searched her frantically, up and down and then again. His grip on her upper arms was so tight it hurt, and he held her almost on her tiptoes, as though torn between whether or not to pull her closer. When he didn’t see anything alarming, he let out a heavy breath, his hold on her relaxing, but not letting go. His head fell, his forehead nearly resting against hers.

"You idiot," he said again, his voice quiet and relieved and intense. "What were you thinking? Why did you go with them? Why didn't you wait for me?" The tips of his bangs brushed against her skin, his gold eyes fixed on her.

He had come to find her. He had been so worried, that he'd run around the streets, looking for her, not even sure what sort of danger she was in. With him looming over her protectively, his strong hands keeping her upright, she felt her adrenaline finally subside. All it left was a wash of fear and the prick of tears in her eyes. She reached up a shaking hand and gripped his shirt.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice cracking.

He rocked forward ever so slightly, his shoulders tense, as though he wanted to hold her. She wished he would. “You’re safe, Kagome. Don’t cry.”

Her phone was still held loosely in her hand, and when it buzzed she jumped. She stared at it, too afraid to move.

With a glance at her, he took it and answered it, but didn’t step away, keeping one hand on her like she might disappear if he let go. "Hey. Yeah, I'm with her. We're on the corner of Nanajima. Yeah."

He hung up and put the phone back in her hand.

"Sango’s headed here,” he said. “You seriously need to answer your phone more often. Sango and Miroku have been trying to get ahold of you for ages. At the very least answer when I call from now on. Alright?" He sounded like he was scolding her. It felt safe.

"Yeah, I will." She reached up to wipe her eyes and winced. He noticed, and immediately became tense again. She tried to turn away, but he stopped her.

"Let me see," he said.

"I'm ok," she assured him.

She readied herself to struggle out of his grip, but she wasn’t prepared for how softly his fingers would touch her jaw, gently turning her face back toward him. The longer he looked at her, the more frightening his expression became. She wondered if bruises were already beginning to show from Naraku’s clasp.

"Who did this?" Inuyasha hissed, acid in every syllable. "And don't you give me that run around crap you've been giving me. Tell me the truth. Tell me who the hell I have to break for this."

Despite how frightening he was right now, she felt her heart flutter. He was ready to go up in arms against whoever had hurt her without evening knowing who they were. Right now, all of his thoughts were on her.

They wouldn't be for long. She would tell him everything—of course she would. How could she keep it secret now? She would tell him all about Onigumo and Naraku and why she had dressed like her sister. And then all of his thoughts would be back on Kikyo as he worried and brooded over her.

Gosh, Kagome was so selfish. At a time like this, with everything that was happening, how could she be jealous?

She let her selfishness rage. She had been the one threatened by Naraku just now, not Kikyo or anyone else. She deserved to feel safe and cared for, if only for a moment.

She reached up and put her hands on either side of Inuyasha's face. He was already so close that it wasn't hard at all to lean up and kiss him.

A first and a last kiss.

His lips were softer than she expected. And warmer. He didn't reciprocate, but at least he didn't jerk away in disgust. She pulled back and opened her eyes. The innocent surprise on his face made her heart ache. Her selfishness ebbed and she stepped back, a touch of guilt and sadness to her smile.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," she said, "I'm glad you came to find me."

Over his shoulder, she saw Sango turn a corner onto their street. Sango spotted them and sprinted forward, Miroku turning the corner on her heels. Inuyasha still stared at her, unmoving.

"Don't worry," Kagome said, not to looking at him again. "I'll tell you everything."

* * *


	9. Son of the General

May – Three months before the present

She wasn't different after all.

He didn't know what he had expected. No, he did know. He had expected to be surprised, because if there was one thing she could do it was surprise him. But it turned out that she was exactly the same as everyone else:

She had avoided him.

She hadn't wanted anyone to see that she had come up to his classroom to find him. Students in his homeroom class were taking their seats around him, including Kikyo, whom he had just walked to school with. Inuyasha had arrived at his seat only to find his red leather jacket draped over his desk.

The last time he had seen that jacket, it had been bobbing through a crowd as Kagome held it over her head, protecting herself from the rain.

He had been in a bad mood that day—he was always in a bad mood when he had to visit his father's offices uptown. That was Sesshomaru's territory now, and he felt unwanted and out of place. It wasn't his problem that his father had, against everyone's wishes, written Inuyasha into his will as the future inheritor of Tessaiga Incorporations. Then the jerk had gone off and died. Tch.

His pissed off older brother was still butt sore about it, too. Whatever. It's not like Inuyasha really cared. He hardly had anything to do with the company, and when he graduated he'd probably just leave it behind. Why should he care? He had Kikyo. He'd just follow her to university or wherever she wanted to go. He didn't owe his dead old man or anyone else anything.

He'd been so annoyed that he almost hadn't noticed Kagome stop beside him on the sidewalk.

“Hey, Inuyasha!” she greeted brightly. She was wet, the idiot. She was wearing a light dress, completely unprepared for the spring rain that had come out of nowhere in the afternoon.

He'd just looked at her blankly and kept walking, still fuming, not paying her any attention. She'd walked beside him quietly and pleasantly. What did she have to be so cheerful about? Moron. She didn't have any cares, did she?

“Is there a reason you’re wandering around in the rain bothering people?” he had finally snapped.

She'd rolled her eyes and responded that she was in town to buy some strange talcum powder and herb concoction for the shrine that her grandfather said they needed.

Unbidden, she had kept talking, "He's always telling me I have to remember all this stuff for when I take over the shrine, but I don't see how it's helpful. What could this even be good for? I know what you're thinking. Probably _why do it if it isn't your problem._ Right? Well, you see, it kind of is. My family will need _someone_ to take care of the shrine, and my sister will be doing other things, so I guess it's left up to me, whether I like it or not."

He had blinked. That had sounded a bit familiar to him.

She had continued, "It's fine, though. I don't really mind in the long run. My dad used to love running the shrine with my grandpa, and I guess it still reminds me of him. I don't want to let them down—anything my dad can do, I can do. Besides, it’s good to have people rely on you for something, don’t you think?"

He had stopped walking and looked down at her again for the first time since she had stood next to him on the corner. She was shivering in the rain, but didn't look upset about it. Was she really fine with being stuck running the shrine her whole life? Fine with making proud a man who wasn't even on the earth anymore?

She…was in his same situation. Yet she was completely different from him.

He wasn't sure why, but then he had slid his jacket off and dropped it over her head.

"Go home," he'd said, "If you get a cold you'll probably end up blaming me, even though you're the one holding me up with all your talking."

She'd blinked at him a minute, and he'd shifted, realizing he'd done something strange. He almost snatched the jacket back and stomped away, but then she'd smiled, thanked him, and hurried off.

It had been a while since he'd done something nice for someone else, but this had felt…fine, he guessed. Besides. She was Kikyo's sister. Right?

Except he hadn't mentioned it to Kikyo. He wasn't sure why. Probably he'd just been embarrassed. But since Kikyo hadn't mentioned it, he assumed Kagome hadn't said anything about it, either.

And now here was the jacket, quietly sitting on his desk, a reminder of that moment.

He was…disappointed. Kagome must have snuck into his classroom early that morning to avoid being seen. He had thought that she didn't have an issue being seen with him. But maybe she was only ever being polite to him, and didn't really see him as more than the guy everyone avoided.

He sat down in his seat as the teacher called the class to attention. He left the jacket there, not wanting to look at it, annoyed that the whole thing was annoying him. Instead he put his chin in his palm, blankly looking around the classroom, always finding his eyes drawn to the back of Kikyo's head, like usual. She was paying very close attention to the teacher. Of course. She was a great student. She would have no issues getting into the university of her choice and going on to become a great doctor, just like she wanted. Meanwhile, unless he could get rid of it, he'd be stuck with his father's business. Like Kagome.

Geeze, why did Kagome have to be so happy about her lot in life? It made him look like an even bigger jerk. Whatever. Kikyo didn't care that he didn't want to keep his father's business—she wanted him to come with her to university, and leave the company and his family behind. That was fine by him.

He slid his jacket off the desktop when his teacher passed back an assignment. Something fluttered to the floor and Inuyasha glanced down at it. It was a folded piece of paper with his name on it. He picked it up and opened it.

It read: _Thank you! You're a good friend. –K._

Ah...she hadn’t avoided him. He was surprised, yet again.

She thought he was a good friend? She was delusional. He snorted at the note, making sure no one could see him reading it. Then he folded it carefully and tucked it into the pocket of his jacket.

: : :

* * *

September – Present

Inuyasha hadn’t looked at her on the way back to the school.

They had walked as a group, everyone quiet and alert. School had ended by then, and they'd found a safe room where they wouldn't be overheard.

Inuyasha sat in a desk a couple feet away from the rest of them, arms crossed, frowning at the floor as he listened to Miroku's exclamations of the information Kagome gave him.

“One in the same,” Miroku said, frustrated and excited. “Naraku and Onigumo. How did I not know?”

“That’s a lot worse, isn’t it?” Sango said. “I mean, for Kikyo.”

“Yes, it’s true. A random lackey may have seemed worrisome before, but to catch the eye of Naraku himself is another matter entirely,” Miroku said.

“Well, you can’t say the girl doesn’t have pull,” Sango said.

Kagome dared take a peek at Inuyasha. His gaze stayed on the floor.

“And now Kagome’s the only other person who knows what he looks like,” Miroku added. “You Higurashi sisters are something special, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know about that. I don’t think Naraku likes me very much,” Kagome said.

“Well, of course not, ‘cause he’s a monster,” Sango shrugged.

“What did he say to you exactly, Kagome?” Miroku asked.

Kagome fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. “He wanted me to convince Kikyo to come home, or I’d regret it. He said he’d burn my life from the inside out.”

The room was quiet for a moment, and Kagome thought she saw Inuyasha shift in her direction slightly.

“Interesting,” Miroku said. “This may be good.”

“What! How could it possibly be good?” Sango said, aghast.

“It means he can’t reach Kikyo that easily. Why bother threatening Kagome when he could go straight to Kikyo? The Kotsui program is extremely reclusive, funded by heads of state and business tycoons. The name of every student is known to anyone who might be important—they’re treated like extremely valuable assets of Japan, and therefore guarded carefully.”

“Mm, it’s a good thing she’s a genius, then, isn’t it?” Kagome said, but she was too tired for her smile to feel completely real.

Miroku nodded. “Indeed. Naraku has deep roots, but it would take even him a little while to bribe or blackmail his way in. That means we have a little bit of time.”

“Yeah, and in the meantime, he’s going after Kagome!” Sango said, gesturing to her friend. “I’m not letting that happen, Miroku!”

“No, and neither will I,” Miroku said. “So we need to find a way to get the upper hand as soon as possible.”

They fell silent again. Kagome chewed on a thumb nail, racking her brain for something that might help. But she didn’t know anything or anyone, and she herself wasn’t much use. In fact, she was now part of the problem. Everyone was worrying about her.

Almost everyone. Inuyasha was staring out the window now.

“I wish we could just throw him back in prison,” she said bitterly. “No doubt stalking women and kidnapping high schoolers is in breach of his parole. But that won’t do us any good, will it? He probably has his parole officer right in his pocket, or the poor guy doesn’t even know that Onigumo has an alias for destroying lives.”

Miroku suddenly pushed away from the desk he leaned against and began pacing. “Actually, you may have something there, Kagome…You’re right, Onigumo spent two years in jail, where Kikyo met him, and the only reason he couldn’t get out of it was because he had been wounded in that fire and landed in the hospital. All this time I’ve been focused on Naraku, but Naraku doesn’t really exist. He’s a phantom, a myth, whose name strikes fear in people. We can’t catch something that isn’t real. But Onigumo…now, there might be a chance.”

“But even his life as Onigumo is pretty vague,” Sango said. “You said most traces of him had been erased.”

“True, I couldn’t get my hands on anything. No one took me seriously, I was too young,” Miroku ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. “But there has to be something left, some weakness we can find. I’ll have to find more contacts, some new lead.”

The sound of Inuyasha’s voice startled everyone, “What do you need?”

They turned to him. He was looking at Miroku.

“What do you need, Monk? To find these new leads?” Inuyasha asked.

Miroku lifted his hands and then dropped them. “Resources. Connections. Ways to open doors I can’t get in myself.”

“Mm. All right,” Inuyasha replied. Then he pushed himself up.

“Heh? Are you going somewhere, Inuyasha?” Kagome asked.

“I’m going to take care of this jerk, Naraku,” he replied.

“Don’t be stupid, Inuyasha, where do you think you're going to find him? And if you did, what would you do? This isn’t someone you can just take out in any old street fight,” Sango said.

“Tch. I know that.”

“Oh ho,” Miroku said, a sweet smile spreading across his face. “Do you have some secret way of getting us all of those things, Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha lifted his lip in a sneer. “Don’t play dumb, Monk. As if you don’t already know.”

“What, really?” Kagome perked up. “What is it?”

Inuyasha was quiet a moment, and Kagome worried she had said something wrong. Or perhaps her addressing him at all was unwanted. Then he said, “I guess you’ll find out. I also might have a way to learn more about that Kagura woman.”

Everyone started, even Miroku.

“You do? Why didn’t you say so before?” Miroku asked.

“Because before _no one_ would tell me what the hell was going on,” he growled. “I knew she was suspicious, but I didn’t know how.”

“Well, then. By all means, we give you leave,” Miroku gestured graciously toward the door.

Inuyasha was already headed toward it. “You’ll make sure Kagome gets home safe?”

Kagome’s shoulders tensed at her name, but Inuyasha still hadn’t looked at her.

“You can count on us,” Sango said.

Miroku drew a cross over his heart. “I swear on my life.”

Inuyasha leveled a narrow-eyed look at him. “If she doesn’t, just know I’m coming straight for you, Monk.” Then Inuyasha was out the door.

“Eh, why only me?” Miroku asked.

“He knows I’m the reliable one who won’t feel her up, that’s why,” Sango said.

Kagome bit down on her lip once, then twice. Then she sprung out of her chair and pushed through the door. “Inuyasha!”

He was already halfway down the hall, but paused. She hurried toward him, stopping further away than she normally would have.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry, Inuyasha,” she said, twisting her fingers together. “I didn’t want to hide it from you. Kikyo didn’t, either, but she thought you would be safer if you didn’t know. I’m sorry it all had to come out like this. But thank you for your help. In every way. I’m glad you were around, even if…” _You didn’t really want to be and then I accidentally kissed you and freaked you out._ Except it hadn’t been an accident. Perhaps that was the worst part. “I’m sorry if I only troubled you with...me.”

She felt sick, and like crying, but she didn’t. She had only brought all of this on herself.

“We’ll stop Naraku, so you don’t have to worry about Kikyo anymore, ok?” she said, giving him the best smile she could manage.

He had only listened, finally looking at her. The hallway was lit by the setting sun, orange light filtering in through the windows and causing Inuyasha’s eyes to reflect liquid gold, framed by his hair, black as coal. He opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing, and after a moment he closed it again.

She stepped back, ready to run back to safety from his eyes just _looking_ at her. “Um, that’s all I wanted to say, so…thank you, Inuyasha.”

And then he did speak, “You call me first next time. Got it?”

Oh. Oh.

Of course, he had to be nice right now. She’d been kidnapped, he probably wasn’t going to reject her as harshly as he might have otherwise.

Why was he so beautiful in this light? Oh, gosh it hurt to look at him sometimes. Now that she’d had a small taste of him, she had a feeling it would hurt even more for the foreseeable future.

He was rushing off to find a way to help Kikyo, but even still, she was glad that he cared enough not to leave her high and dry. She should be mature enough to do the same. If he was happy, she could live with that.

“Got it,” she said, her smile a little more genuine. And then he was gone.

* * *

Sango had been right to be skeptical—street fights were what he was good at. He'd been in so many since the age of ten, it would be impossible to remember them all, let alone count them. Small scars were left on his chin and hands, so common he barely noticed them anymore. Others noticed, of course, which only added to the rumors that followed him through the halls of the high school.

Right now, he’d volunteer for a fight against a hundred of the biggest guys in town in exchange for having to do this.

"Are you sure, Master Inuyasha?" Miyoga asked for the fifth time, dabbing sweat from his bald head with a handkerchief.

"Quit calling me that," Inuyasha responded.

He stood in the center of the plush red carpet, facing the wide, dark wooded desk. Bookshelves lined the wall behind him, full of old books and small glass statues that looked so fragile he didn’t go near them. A dark leather sofa sat beside a long coffee table, topped with fresh white lilies. His mother’s favorite flower.

Worst of all, towering over him from behind the desk, was a massive portrait of his father. The man looked a lot like Sesshomaru, with the same sharp face and pale hair, although he looked more proud than he did severe. His eyes, his mother had said often, were the same as Inuyasha’s.

Inuyasha did his best to avoid looking at the painting. It already felt like it was watching him, he didn't want to confirm it.

Sitting behind the desk was a man who looked so ancient he might fall apart if a stiff wind blew through the room. San Totosaiwa—“Totosai” to those who knew him. He sat quietly, his thin fingers steepled in front of him, his large eyes narrowed. The portly Daisuke Miyoga stood beside him, watching Inuyasha anxiously, constantly twitching his gray mustache.

"Mast—er, Inuyasha. Do you realize what it is you're asking?" Miyoga continued. "I mean, it isn't to say that I'm not glad you've taken an interest in your father's company after all this time, but, but, this may be a bit soon. A bit out of your…expertise. I don't think you quite understand what it is you're getting into."

Inuyasha exhaled heavily, looking down at himself. He was still wearing his school uniform, his tie missing from weeks of Kikyo being gone and him not caring about all those stupid rules. Over his uniform was his red leather jacket, his long black hair falling over his shoulders. He certainly didn't look like the son of a major business tycoon, and didn’t have the slightest clue how to run a company.

But he had to do something. Kikyo had been hunted until she had been forced to leave everyone and everything behind. Kagome had been stalked and kidnapped, and returned bruised. Their family, Sango’s family, and even that idiot Miroku were in potential danger. And Inuyasha was powerless to do anything about it.

Maybe until now.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, then he thought that might look too juvenile, and took them out again. "I know what I'm getting into. Don't panic—you'll both still have plenty to do. I can’t do everything yet.”

"Yes, that's exactly my point. You haven’t even finished your schooling yet. Wouldn't you like to take it a bit slower and save time to focus on your studies? There's no need to rush!" Miyoga said.

"There is a need to rush. There are…some things I need to get done. It can't wait,” Inuyasha replied.

"Yes, and that worries me even more," Miyoga said, glancing at Totosai. Totosai kept a calm gaze on Inuyasha, ignoring the short man next to him. Miyoga kept going, "I don't mean that—I don't presume—that there would be any ulterior _motives_ , it's just that, well, given your history, not that it's a _history_ by any means, just a background, er, a… thing…I'm just not sure why you want to do this _now_."

Inuyasha clenched his teeth together. Dang it, he didn't want to have to explain everything to these idiots. There was no way they would let him have the company if he admitted that it was only to stop a major crime lord. But he wouldn’t budge on this. He’d force them to legally recognize his right as heir if he had to.

"Listen," he started, trying to sound less angry. He always sounded angry when he was uneasy. "The last thing I'm going to do is run this company into the ground. I'm not an idiot—I'm not going to sell out just so I can keep the cash, hire criminals, or burn all our bridges with our partners. Even if Sesshomaru's stupid law firm is one of them. In fact, I'm perfectly happy to leave most of those matters to you guys. What I need is…All I'm asking for is…" Money? Resources? Free reign? No questions asked? None of that sounded good.

Totosai stood up, cutting him off. Inuyasha and Miyoga both looked at him as he calmly straightened some papers on the desk.

"We'll prepare some things for you," Totosai said. "You're welcome to come in whenever you like, although I suggest that a steadier schedule would show the right responsibility to your subordinates. They'll be more willing to follow when they know you can lead."

"Wait, what?" Miyoga squeaked. "You don't mean to say that you're going to let Inuyasha head up the company!"

"That's what he's asking for, isn't it?" Totosai said. He tucked the papers under his arm and stepped out from behind the desk.

"Totosai! Are-are you serious? He's a boy!"

Totosai picked at an ear with his pinky finger. "The young master has shown an interest in his birthright. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yes, but…but…"

"So, let him do it. Why not?"

"Why not? There are so many reasons why not!" Miyoga complained, looking like he might have a heart attack any second.

Inuyasha raised his eyebrows as Totosai neared him. The old man patted his shoulder twice. "This business was meant for you. Your father had always intended it to take care of you and your mother, rest her soul. It was difficult for him to build from the ground up, keeping it out of the clutches of some of his more… _distasteful_ family members, but he always insisted that it was the most important thing he’d ever done, next to meeting your mother. Now the company’s yours, so you may do what you like, but let me say, Inuyasha, if you expect to benefit from this, you will find that it doesn't come free. You will have to carry the responsibilities in order to receive the rewards. And that's how your father intended it, too."

Totosai leaned back with a carefree smile, patted Inuyasha once more, a little too hard, and walked past him to the door.

"Don't worry,” the old man said over his shoulder, “We won't leave you to tread water by yourself! We counseled your father, we'll counsel you. Now, Miyoga, hurry up, we have a meeting with the investors in fifteen minutes."

"Ah, what? Y-yes," Miyoga hurried after Totosai, giving Inuyasha an unsure look as he passed.

As they closed the door, Inuyasha heard Totosai say, “Now if only we could get Sesshomaru to stop being such a child, we might actually be able to retire.”

“C-careful he doesn’t ever hear you say that, Totosai!” Miyoga replied.

Well. That had gone better than Inuyasha had expected. Those old coots had to be idiots, handing everything over to him just because he asked.

He glanced around the office. His office.

Oh, hell, that made him so nauseous he wanted to throw up all over the nice carpet. Never in a thousand years did he think he’d accept his father’s inheritance. In fact, he’d done almost everything to avoid it.

He moved toward the desk, looking down at the smooth lacquer. He sat in one of the chairs in front of it, glaring down the tall backed chair behind it. Above it, Inutaisho looked down at him.

“Enjoy your last day up there, old man,” Inuyasha told the painting. “You’re gonna be the first thing to go. Who can work with you lording over them?”

His phone buzzed, and he was only mildly surprised to see a text from Miroku. He’d suspected that guy was more than he seemed, although he hadn’t foreseen this sort of strange connection between him and the events of the past little while.

 _Both Kagome and Sango delivered home safely. Looking forward to hearing how it went on your end._ Then there was a series of kissy-face emojis. This was the guy they were all relying on?

A knot in his stomach he hadn’t realized was there loosened. She was home safe.

He couldn’t remember a time he’d been more terrified. And that was before he’d even heard about the murdering pyromaniac part of the situation. He would never forget the way her voice had shaken on the phone, or the distant look in her eyes when he’d finally found her, sitting alone on the curb. The small red marks on her cheeks, slowly turning purple, one of them with the bloody imprint of a fingernail—

Inuyasha’s nails dug into the armrests of his chair. He supposed it wouldn’t do to rip the furniture apart in here, but he was only barely restraining himself from doing so. He leaned forward, forcing himself to close his eyes and level his breathing. In an attempt to alleviate a small amount of furious energy, he slammed a fist into the top of the desk. The expensive wood held. Good. That was promising for when he was sitting at this desk often.

His bones pulsed with a familiar pain, which made him feel a tiny bit better. Then his phone was in his hand again, and he was staring at Kagome’s name. Miroku had already said she was safe.

It wasn’t good enough.

He hit the call button, even as his heart pounded, wondering what he was doing. He rested his forehead against the desk as it rang. The wood was cool on his hot skin, and his long hair fell around him like a dark curtain, as if that would somehow give him privacy.

“Inuyasha?” she answered breathlessly.

“Hey,” he said, keeping his voice quiet. Why, he didn’t know.

“Are you ok?”

He snorted. “I’m the one who should be asking that.”

“I’m ok,” she said.

They fell quiet. He’d had her number for months, forced upon him by her at some point, but never once had he used it. It felt…close. He was glad no one was in this office. Her side was quiet, and he wondered what she was thinking. She wasn’t crying again, he hoped. Maybe she was pursing her lips like she did so often when thinking about what to say.

Lips that he knew the exact shape and pinkness and feeling of.

His face warmed even more. He had been trying not to think about that, although it had been nearly impossible when he'd been with her earlier. The kiss wasn't anything. She had been emotional and afraid, and she was Kagome. She was always touching everyone as though it weren't a big deal. Like yesterday, when they'd held each other for so long. Maybe to her, something like hugging and kissing was normal, some show of friendly affection. She was weird enough that it was possible.

When he couldn't take the silence, he cleared his throat. “I just wanted to make sure you were home safe."

“Yes! I am. I’m sorry, I should have texted you sooner.”

“It’s fine. Get some rest.”

Before he could hang up, she hurriedly said, “Inuyasha, wait, I…”

He held his breath, his eyes on the toes of his shoes. They were scuffed and old. Not the shoes of a CEO.

“I’m sorry,” she finished.

He let out a breath that was half laugh. “You already apologized.”

“I know. It seems I always have more to be sorry for, though.” Her voice became quiet. “I should have been a better sister.”

Inuyasha paused. “…This isn’t your fault.”

Another long pause. Then her tone brightened, and he could almost imagine her shaking herself off. “You’re right! This is that creep Naraku’s fault! And the next time I see him I’m going to punch him into next week!”

Her change in energy was contagious. “Not if I punch him first.”

“Nuh-uh, get in line, Inuyasha! Kikyo, me, then you get to hit him. Or if we really want to be accurate by who was affected first, it should be Miroku, Sango, Kikyo, me, _then_ you. Sorry, pal, he’ll be unconscious by the time you get your turn.”

A surprised laugh escaped his chest. Shockingly light. He didn’t care at all that she could hear it. “Fine, I’ll be the cleanup hitter. I can live with that,” he said.

She sounded like she was smiling now. “Good. Be safe, ok, Inuyasha?”

“Yeah. And you.”

“Mm. And you’ll tell me what it is you're doing soon, right? No more secrets?”

“That’s my line.”

“Ah, eheh, yeah. No more secrets. Promise. Goodnight.”

“Night.” He waited until he was sure she had already hung up before he did.

His heart was pounding, but it didn't feel bad. Still smiling, he sat up and reached for the phone on the desk. With a quick glance over the million buttons, he hit the pager.

“Hey, secretary lady,” he said.

The startled voice of the matronly woman he had stormed past outside the office answered, “Y-yes, sir?”

“Get me any information you can on Kagura Wasanabi. And call my brother.”

* * *


	10. The Prince and the Pauper

June – Four months before the present

"Is he coming up here?" Sota asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe he will,” their mother answered.

"If he doesn't, I wouldn't be surprised. He's too cool for stuff like this."

"Don't be silly, Sota. I'm sure he's happy to be here at his girlfriend's archery meet."

Sota made a face, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Blegh. If I were him, I'd want to be doing something better than staying here and being bored to death.”

Behind a pair of sunglasses, Kagome sipped her soda absently, getting down to the ice and dregs at the bottom. She listened to her mother and brother's conversation, her eyes on the archers lined up on the field in front of them. Kikyo was up next, and there was more than one group of students here waiting to cheer her on.

The archers finished their round and then paused, coaches coming out, refs heading to the targets to measure. Kagome tried to focus on them, but the day was heating up quickly, making it hard to focus. Not for the first time, her eyes strayed down the length of the bleachers to the far corner, where a boy in a white t-shirt and long black hair was standing, watching the match by himself. He was currently the topic of her mother and brother’s conversation, which seemed to be happening more often lately. He'd been dating Kikyo for months and still had never met the Higurashi family, no matter how many times they insisted Kikyo bring him to dinner. The thought seemed funny to Kagome. Him sitting awkwardly at her dinner table seemed too hilarious to be real.

“That idiot, isn’t he hot with all that hair?” she mumbled to herself. He didn’t seem to care, leaning over the railing to watch the match, the sun beating down on him. She was dying of the heat, even in the thin dress she’d just pulled out for the beginning of summer. It was a cute dress, too. Not that he’d notice.

She didn’t mind archery. When they had been in junior high, she had sat for hours and watched Kikyo practice with a target hung on the Sacred Tree. She’d always wondered what it would be like to take it up herself.

Inuyasha was probably bored to death. He only came for Kikyo, so when she wasn’t on the field he probably didn’t care who got what points. Or, maybe he did. Maybe he was a fan of archery. Kagome didn’t know. She wanted to ask. He was being more friendly, in his own way, which she loved, but talking to him lately felt strange.

She sloshed her ice around, shaking herself when she found her eyes drifting toward the sharp line of Inuyasha’s shoulders again. 

Maybe Kagome should join a club. Sango was busy this time of year training for the summer softball tournament, and her other friends were starting to get wrapped up in their own club activities. Maybe Kagome needed a club. If she found something to be good at, maybe people might have something to associate her with other than just “Kikyo’s little sister”. Something to take up her time so she didn’t sit around daydreaming about things that were increasingly involving a boy they shouldn’t. A boy who was watching carefully as her sister stepped onto the field.

The crowd cheered for the senior archers. Kikyo, along with some of her other teammates, smiled up at them. Finding her family in the masses, Kikyo lifted an arm to wave. Kagome and her mother waved back and Sota threw his hands in the air. She looked so cool out there in her traditional uniform. Kagome was proud to know she’d definitely win.

Then Kikyo spotted Inuyasha, and sent him a little wave, too. He gave her a V sign for victory.

And suddenly the crowd seemed far away and the heat seemed sweltering and Kagome felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. Blindly she hurried down the steps and around the corner, knocking into a few people she forgot to apologize to. Once she was beneath the bleachers in the shade, she leaned against a metal pole and took off her sunglasses, trying to breath deeply. She wanted to throw up. Or cry. It took her a few minutes before she realized with a shock that it was jealousy.

: : :

* * *

September - Present

Everything ached. Kagome’s arms felt heavier than lead, and her fingers were raw from the snap of Kikyo’s bowstring. If she laid still long enough, she might just sink through her mattress and into the ground. Did she want that? She didn’t know. She wasn’t sure she felt anything as she watched the blue light from the sunrise slowly turn yellow.

She waited until it wasn’t so absurdly early before she slowly pushed herself out of bed. The aches in her body were strangely satisfying.

In the hallway, Sota jumped when she swung her door open abruptly.

"What are you doing up so early? Don't monsters prefer the night?" he asked.

He flinched when she made a move for him, but all she did was hold him in a fierce hug. She left him shocked in the hall and headed to the bathroom.

She hadn’t slept well. The night had been filled with too many shadows, swaying like handsome men with wicked eyes, looming over her bed. And in the moments when she could push those nightmares out of her mind, she imagined being held close and kissed gently, her fingers tangled in black hair she had longed to touch, safer than anyone had ever been in the history of the world.

Until she remembered his look of surprise and saw a flash of her sister’s most disappointed expression, and her chest would constrict so tightly she had to gasp to breathe again. Then she’d be once again staring at dark, swaying shadows.

Inuyasha had to know her secret now. There was no way he couldn’t. So she’d have to prove to him she was fine with just being friends. Prove to Sango, and Miroku, who probably knew, and herself. And hope and pray that she would never, ever have to tell Kikyo. She couldn’t handle her betrayed feelings on top of Inuyasha’s pity.

At breakfast, she ate quietly, looking around at her family in the soft morning light. Kagome didn't know how much she should tell them. She had come up with a lame excuse about tripping to explain the bruises on her face, but should she have been honest? She listened to their light chatter, completely carefree as they discussed the fall festival coming that weekend. The truth about Naraku loomed behind them, unbeknownst to them. How could she ruin everything when they might have so little time left to be at peace?

Should she tell Kikyo, at least? Maybe Kikyo would know something that could help.

_Onigumo knows where you are, Kikyo._

_Also, he's actually a crime lord named Naraku._

_And he hates me._

_Oh, and I kissed your boyfriend._

She snorted at herself, pressing her chopsticks into her lips as if that would erase the taste of Inuyasha. Which she knew was impossible.

Leaving the house took a bit of self-convincing. Surely, Naraku wouldn’t come after her two days in a row. She’d be safe in the crowds at school. Right? To be honest, she was nervous to walk alone. 

She ran a finger down the side of her phone. Inuyasha had called her last night— _he_ had called _her_ —seemingly just to make sure she’d made it home ok. She’d been so relieved he wasn’t avoiding her that it had been embarrassing. Lately he’d been walking home with her to aid with her Kikyo act. Maybe if she asked nicely, he might still did that. She wished he was here now to go with her to school, waiting at the top of the stairs like he always had for her sister. 

But there was no one standing in the shadow of the arch.

“Alright, come on, Kagome,” she said to herself, rolling her sore shoulders out. “Get a grip, girl. That jerk Naraku can’t scare you! You’re Kagome Higurashi! And as for Inuyasha…he’s your friend. And you both love Kikyo.”

At least both of those things were true. She _needed_ them to be true to keep her from spiraling into any other misplaced emotions. Her situation was crazy, but that was no excuse to go around crying and hugging and kissing people and adding an extra burden on Inuyasha. She’d make sure he didn’t have to reject her. They could be friends again. He didn’t need to know how much pain she had been hiding for months because of him.

With a “hmph!” she stalked briskly toward the stairs, descending with her head high. She hoped Naraku was watching. She smirked, just in case he was.

…Until saw a shiny black car at the bottom of the staircase, with a long-haired man standing in front of it.

Before she could sprint away, she recognized the red jack. 

Inuyasha was standing on the curb in black jeans and black t-shirt, leaning against the car with his hands in his jacket pockets.

What? Why?

She descended the steps as casually as she could. “Morning.”

"Hey," he said, looking anywhere but at her. “Feel like going to school?”

“Ha! Of course I do!” She poked her nose in the air. “I’m not letting that Naraku get the better of me. He has to know who he’s messing with! Besides, I can finally be myself again. I’m stoked to go to school!”

“Really?” His amber eyes flicked down to her momentarily, completely disbelieving. 

She hesitated, then gave up. “…Not really.”

“Good.” He reached behind him and opened the backdoor of the car. Kagome blinked when she saw Sango and Miroku beyond the tinted windows.

"Hey, Kagome! Isn't this cool?" Sango greeted.

"Huh, what's this?" Kagome asked. "Where'd this car come from?"

"It's Inuyasha's car, if you can believe it," Miroku said. "What a gentleman, picking us all up for our own safety."

"This is your car?" she gaped at Inuyasha. "You don't have a car. Is it Sesshomaru's?" She gasped. "You didn't steal it did you? Inuyasha!"

"What, no! Shut up and just get in!" he snapped back.

She slid into the back seat, tucking her feet in before Inuyasha closed the door. Sango sat beside her, Miroku on the other side. Inuyasha rounded the car and hopped in the front passenger seat. Kagome blinked when she realized there was someone else behind the wheel—a portly older man with a bald head and a gray mustache.

"Go," Inuyasha told him. The old man pulled the car away from the curb, grumbling to himself about not being a chauffeur. "What was that?" Inuyasha asked with a sharply raised eyebrow.

"N-nothing, sir," the man said.

"Sir?" Kagome repeated. "Who is this? How bad did you threaten him, Inuyasha?"

"I didn't threaten anybody!" Inuyasha huffed, putting his sneakers up on the dash.

"This is Miyoga," Miroku said, gesturing to the old man. "He works for Inuyasha."

"Ha! Works for him?" She paused when no one else laughed. "You're not serious."

"Dead serious," Miroku smiled.

"Isn't it sort of exciting?” Sango said. “Just imagine, our very own, raggedy, rough and tough Inuyasha, a secret royal or billionaire or something. I admit, I love a good cliché. Delinquent to prince is a favorite of mine.”

Kagome snorted. "Please, this is Inuyasha, remember? There’s no way he’s charming enough to be any kind of prince."

"Hey, you..." Inuyasha warned.

"Not a billionaire," Miyoga said in the front. "We only grossed about 40 million last year."

Inuyasha bonked the man across the head.

Sango cackled and Kagome stared. "I'm still asleep, aren't I? This is a dream."

Inuyasha turned over his shoulder to fix his glare on her. "All of you can just can-it and be glad I'm not making you walk with a murderer on the loose."

Kagome shrugged, reaching for the door handle. "That's fine, I'll walk."

He turned to her more fully, eyes widening. "Hey, stop it! You, least of all, are walking!"

She smiled and said, "So you going to explain this? No more secrets, remember?"

He scowled, but if she wasn't crazy he looked a bit pink. "Fine. I may or may not be connected to a company that may or may not be nationally recognized," he said. "Seemed like now was a good time to take advantage of it."

"You never mentioned this before,” Kagome said.

"Why should I have? Besides, I never intended on joining, so it didn't matter."

"This is a family company? Does your brother work there?" Sango asked.

"He wishes," Inuyasha said.

"Here's some fun trivia: Kagome, do you know Inuyasha's last name?" Miroku asked.

"Sure, it's Hiroyama," Kagome said.

"Correct, young lady!” Miyoga added cheerfully. “Most people don't know that it's actually his mother's name.” Inuyasha smacked him again.

Actually, Kagome did know that, but she decided not to jump at the bait and claim that proudly. Sango was already looking between her and Inuyasha suspiciously, and Kagome wasn’t sure she could handle being questioned just yet. Not when she had promised Sango that she wouldn’t let it go too far, and epically failed.

"And Sesshomaru's last name is Taiko, which is _his_ mother's last name," Miroku continued, "but do you know their father's name?"

Kagome and Sango shook their heads. Inuyasha seemed to be purposely looking out his window. Miroku was smiling in a way that made Kagome nervous.

"It's Tessaiga."

Somewhere, deep in the recesses of Kagome's memory, she saw flashes of interviews on TV, newspaper articles in her grandfather's hands, etched letters in the side of skyscrapers downtown.

"Tessaiga? But that's a huge company," Sango said in disbelief. "Inuyasha's family owns it?"

"Not at all," Miroku said, the same shit-eating grin on his face. " _Inuyasha_ owns it."

And suddenly Kagome felt like time was stretching out long and slow—the trees passing by outside, the sleek curve of the black leather seats, the tinted windows, the man in a nice suit driving, and Inuyasha, pointedly not looking at her, his cheeks pink, his knees poking out of the holes in his jeans.

"WHAT?"

* * *

This wasn’t how Inuyasha had intended for this to go.

“Ooh, Kagome, look at this! This looks antique!”

“There are so many books! Do you think anyone’s actually read them all?”

“How much do you think this rug alone cost?”

“Hm, what’s this picture? Wah, is this Inuyasha’s dad? So handsome!”

“Wow, yeah. Why’s his picture on the floor?”

Inuyasha finally snapped, “Will you two stop touching everything? I’m trying to work here.”

Kagome and Sango settled a chilling gaze on him. Then they leaned toward each other and started whispering.

“Hey, stop that!”

They put their hands behind their backs and looked away innocently. He growled, but he doubted there was ever a time his glare had scared them. With a huff, he turned back to his desk, spreadsheets and numbers and gibberish memos piled on top of it. Damn it. He’d lost his place.

There was no way he intended on letting Kagome go to school without him--it was much safer for her to be here--and he had needed Miroku to tell him what to do and who to contact. He should have known Sango would insist on joining them.

Yet watching them poking around in his father’s old office was surreal. Like a dream he was having after a bad glass of milk, and he wasn’t sure if it was a nightmare or not.

Kagome seemed to be acting normal. More normal than he expected, and certainly more normal than he was feeling after yesterday, but...distant, at the same time. He wanted to inspect her wounds and make sure she wasn’t lying to him about how she was feeling, but he couldn’t do that with the others here. Then again, the idea of being alone with her was…

What was it?

He watched her giggling with Sango about something again. She was probably worried about a dozen things, but he supposed if having Sango with her made her feel better, then the girl could stay forever, as far as he was concerned.

A second later Inuyasha felt them leaning over either of his shoulders.

“What’cha working on?” Sango asked.

Kagome leaned a little closer and he couldn’t help but notice the smell of her hair that dipped over his shoulder. He was careful not to move. 

“It says ‘Quarterly Expenditures’. Sounds important,” she said.

“It’s none of your business,” he said.

Kagome smacked him on the back of his head. “It is so our business! We’re all in this together, aren’t we?”

They circled to the front of the desk, plopping down in the two seats there, staring at him with their big eyes. He looked between them before giving in. “I’m looking for any holes in the company’s expenses. I don’t know what Miroku is going to need, but it’s probably going to cost money, and if I can find a pocket of excess then we can reroute it so it’s more useful to us.”

They started clapping.

He slammed a hand on the desk, positive his face was bright red now. “Stop making fun of me!”

“We’re not making fun of you,” Sango said.

“Yeah, we’re impressed,” Kagome added. “You really know what you’re doing. That’s amazing, Inuyasha.”

“Ha. Hardly.” He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “I don’t have the first clue what to do with half of these things. But all of that can wait. The only reason I’m here is to get us resources we don’t have. I’ll worry about how to properly run the company later, since I guess that’s my job now.”

He heard the click of a camera and looked up to see Sango pointing her phone in his direction.

“Ooh, so cool,” Kagome cooed. “We should send that to a newspaper for their article about the new, young CEO of Tessaiga Incorporations!”

“Gah! Delete that!” Inuyasha said.

“No way,” they said in unison.

He lunged for the phone across the desk, but they held it out of reach. Behind them, Miroku walked up, returning from the copying room with a stack of papers. He took the phone easily.

“Miroku, thank goodness, hurry, delete that,” Inuyasha said.

Miroku put a finger to his chin, inspecting the picture. Then he said, “I title this _The Reckless Heir_.”

Kagome and Sango applauded again and Inuyasha smacked a palm to his face.

“What have you got there, Miroku?” Sango asked, gesturing to the papers in Miroku’s hand.

Miroku handed her phone back. “Everything the precinct had on Kagura Wasanabi. They just faxed it over, thanks to Inuyasha. Seems all I have to do is drop his last name and suddenly everyone’s eager to be on his good side.”

“Anything useful?” Inuyasha asked as Miroku dropped the thin stack of papers on the desk.

Miroku shrugged. “Nothing I didn’t already know. Went to school and university in Tokyo, has been working as a small-time defense attorney for ten years. No living family, and a very boring private life. I can’t find any connection between her and your brother, other than they’re both lawyers. But Sesshomaru runs in much higher circles, so who knows how they bumped into each other or why they’re still in touch.”

 _Damn it,_ Inuyasha thought, glancing over Kagura’s information. He shoved the useless papers to the side, careful not to let his annoyance show. Kagome had an obnoxiously keen eye, and the last thing he wanted was for her to notice his doubt. He glanced at her, but she was focused on Miroku and Sango.

“A hundred bucks says it has something to do with Naraku,” Sango said.

“No doubt, but what exactly that is, we don’t know,” Miroku said. “Inuyasha, is there any chance Sesshomaru might be working for Naraku?”

“The hell should I know? He could be working for the prime minister and I would have no idea about it. He could _be_ the prime minister and I wouldn’t know,” Inuyasha said.

Miroku hummed to himself, tapping a finger against his crossed arms. It seemed when the Monk boy was thinking he had a hard time sitting still. If anyone at the high school ever saw him this high strung, Inuyasha was certain they wouldn’t believe it was the same person.

A static buzz from the phone sounded, and the receptionist on the first floor said, “Mr. Tessaiga, there’s a Kagura Wasanabi here to see you.”

Any security the office had provided the teenagers before seemed to be sucked away. Everyone looked around at each other, and Inuyasha purposely moved as slow as he could for the page button.

“Send her up,” he said.

“Yes, sir.”

“Inuyasha, I’m hesitant about this,” Miroku said. “They will have the upper hand completely, especially now that we’ve revealed the one trump card we held. Which is only so impressive, I might add. No offense, but I doubt she or Naraku will be swayed by your newly-claimed inheritance.”

He was right, of course, but they didn’t have a lot of options, and their time was too precious to waste hemming and hawing over information they didn’t have. 

Inuyasha shrugged. “Guess we’ll have to wing it.”

“How comforting,” Sango said.

“Got any better ideas?” Inuyasha shot back.

“Nope,” she said, rounding the desk to stand beside him. To his surprise, she patted his shoulder. “It’s all you, Inuyasha.”

Sango didn’t leave. Miroku took the place beside her a second later, picking up Kagura’s papers to analyze again, or maybe so he could look more serious.

Kagome stepped to Inuyasha’s other side, taking up a place a few paces away. He watched her take a moment to straighten out the blue skirt of her uniform and push her hair behind her shoulders.

He leaned toward her, saying so the other didn’t hear, “You don’t have to be here when she comes.”

He was almost taken aback by the determination in her brown eyes when she turned to him. Either she forgot or didn’t care about the light catching the purple marks on her cheeks and held her chin high. “Don’t worry. It will be fine,” she said.

He didn’t know if she was talking about herself, or if she was reassuring him. Either way, he smiled and nodded. He blinked when she suddenly turned away.

Then the door opened.

Kagura stepped inside, letting the door swing shut behind her. She was in a skirt and blazer that were so maroon they were almost black, and a pair of high heels that Inuyasha didn’t understand the physics of. She glanced around the room, her hand loosely on the leather briefcase over her shoulder, before landing eyes on them.

“Well, _this_ is adorable,” she said, looking at their line-up of school uniforms and Inuyasha’s t-shirt. “Aren’t children supposed to be in school at this time?”

Inuyasha scowled at her flippancy. How dare she, after what she had done. He let his fury hiss into his voice, feeling the familiar quickening pulse of his blood when he was ready for a fight. “Sit, if you want. Or don’t. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Kagura took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk and crossed her legs with an amused smile. “So, then. I’m ready. Attempt to blackmail me or threaten me or whatever. I’ve had a slow morning, and this will be a nice pick-up.”

Oh, Inuyasha was dying to threaten her. She could stand to be ruffled up a little, and maybe some nice bruises to match Kagome’s might be fitting. But not yet. He nodded to Miroku.

Miroku smiled coyly at the woman, leaning against Inuyasha’s desk. “So, we finally get the chance to speak! This game of cat and mouse we’ve been playing has gone on too long.” Inuyasha felt rather than saw Sango’s disgust. Kagura made no reaction. Miroku stayed just as sweet, “Care to talk about your boss? We’re dying to get to know him.”

She laughed at that. “Really? I expected for you to try harder than that.”

“It would be in your best interest,” Miroku continued.

“Is that so?”

“Certainly. You’re a proven accomplice of a major criminal, murderer, and serial arsonist.”

“Proven? You have no proof. Even if you’re recording this very conversation, you won’t have proof. I know how to watch my tongue, and I definitely know criminal law better than you. You’re not the first nosy group that I’ve had to chew up and spit out, but you are definitely the naivest.” Kagura tapped a blood-red fingernail against her thigh, not seeming the least bit put out. Inuyasha imagined wiping that smile off her face a dozen different ways. He nearly tried one when her eyes wandered over them all and paused on Kagome.

“We have a victim willing to testify,” Miroku said, nodding to Kagome. “And several eye-witnesses at the school who saw her leave with you.”

“Minors, all of them,” Kagura shrugged. “And I have a half-dozen alibis, which can be attested to by people smarter and more important than any of you. I’ll even let you pick which one I use—give you a sporting chance at fighting it in court. That could be fun.”

“Actually, this is us giving you a chance,” Inuyasha said. “Talk now, and we won’t have to beat it out of you.”

“My, my,” Kagura said, raising a sharp eyebrow at him. “Is that any way to speak to a lady?”

“Lady my ass,” Inuyasha said. “If you like, we could find a more private room and I can show you just how much I care that you’re a girl.” His gaze was much more poisonous than Miroku’s, which caught Kagura’s attention for a moment. Out the corner of his eye he saw Kagome turn in his direction. He didn’t meet her eyes.

“Oh, let me guess. _You’re_ playing the bad cop. Monk is playing the good cop, just like his dead-as-a-doornail father. And you two are, what? The cheerleaders?” Kagura looked at Kagome and Sango.

“Hell no,” Sango said, her fists clenched so tight they shook slightly. “I’ll be the one swinging first.”

“Mm. From what I hear you’re a decent martial artist. Much better than that poor brother of yours. How is Kohaku, by the way? Your daddy pawn off enough of your things to buy his medicine yet?”

Sango inhaled sharply. “Why you witch—”

Sango snapped her mouth shut as the door banged open. The slender figure of Sesshomaru, every inch of him covered in black, stepped inside. Ah, yes. And there was the familiar feeling of the hair raising on the back Inuyasha’s neck, ready for the taste of blood.

“Is it quaint or tragic that you presume you are worthy to sit in that chair?” Sesshomaru said, low and dangerous, crossing the room to him. “A bastard child who has squandered his life, you think you have any right to the Tessaiga Corporation?”

Inuyasha snorted. “Last I checked, I have the only right. Still pissy about it, Sesshomaru?”

“You ignorant brat, you _dare_ summon me here as though I were some common _vagabond._ Enjoy your time here, for it will be brief—I will see you eliminated and thrown back onto the streets where you…” Sesshomaru trailed off when he saw Kagura.

“Hey,” she said to him. “You should probably take a seat.”

Sesshomaru turned his glower back on Inuyasha, and without breaking eye contact he backed up and took the chair beside Kagura.

Finally, Kagura seemed uneasy, but her and Sesshomaru’s chilling expressions didn’t bother Inuyasha. As reluctant as he was to take over this company, he had to admit, having Sesshomaru sitting in the small uncomfortable chair with a sour face while Inuyasha lounged in the high-backed chair of the CEO was extremely satisfying.

“Glad you could finally join us,” Inuyasha said.

“I thought you said your baby brother wouldn’t be a problem,” Kagura said to Sesshomaru.

“He isn’t supposed to be,” Sesshomaru said, narrowing his eyes at the group of teens.

Ignoring the tension in the room, Miroku said breezily, “We were just discussing Ms. Wasanabi’s employer. Care to chime in, Mr. Taiko? Is he a common friend of yours?” When Sesshomaru didn’t answer, Miroku continued, “Don’t bother hiding it—we know you and Kagura have been meeting together, presumably on Naraku’s behalf. Or, at the very least, that’s how we’re going to make it sound to the authorities. And our dear Inuyasha has several commanding officers in his pocket who would love to listen.”

“Who would listen to a fool like him?” Sesshomaru said.

“Shall we find out?” Miroku smiled.

“Cut the crap, Sesshomaru. You want to know the facts?” Inuyasha leaned forward, his elbows on the desk. He could still feel his heart racing, every inch of him on edge while Sesshomaru watched him with that condescending look that made Inuyasha want to break his pretty face. “Naraku’s gotten sloppy in his arrogance. He’s revealed himself when he definitely shouldn’t have, and he’s going to pay for it. Either you’re with us or you’re with him. And if you’re with him, we have no problem taking you down, too. I’m hoping we get to, actually.”

“You are out of your depth,” Sesshomaru said. “You think you can catch Naraku after knowing he’s existed for, what, a week? Two, perhaps? And all along he’s been cavorting with that poor little girlfriend of yours. I don’t know who’s more naïve—you, or her.”

In a flash of red he saw Kikyo’s face the last day he had seen her, tense, more reserved than usual, frowning at him, looking over her shoulder. She had been afraid. Afraid, and he hadn’t even noticed. Inuyasha lunged out of his chair, yanking his brother by his stupid, fancy black shirt, and sending a cup of pens clattering across the desk. “ _Cavorting?_ ” Inuyasha spat, only inches from Sesshomaru’s face. “She was in _trouble_ , and if I find out you were in on it, I swear I’ll use every inch of power our father left me to tear you down.”

Sesshomaru’s lip curled in a smirk that set Inuyasha blood on fire. “She wasn’t in trouble. She was the last person who was afraid of Naraku. Poor little bastard Inuyasha, the only person who ever pretended to care about him was lying.”

With a snap, Inuyasha’s fist was flying toward Sesshomaru’s face, connecting squarely with his cheekbone. Sesshomaru took it, but before Inuyasha could feel any better, his brother returned the blow. Kagome gasped both times, and no doubt Sango was shocked. Miroku would be pissed. The one thing he’d said when Inuyasha had told him who they were meeting was that they needed to keep a cool head to have any hope of gaining the upper hand.

Inuyasha snarled at the drop of blood on the back of his hand from his lip. Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it. He was failing them all. There was never any winning against his brother, he should have known that.

“Enough of this,” Sesshomaru was saying, straightening his shirt as though nothing had happened. His cheek was red, and would probably turn black by the end of the day. “Kagura, we’re leaving these children to mess with things they don’t understand by themselves.”

“Rin.”

Sesshomaru stopped, turning half-back. Inuyasha straightened, leaving the blood on his chin. “Rin,” he said again. 

“What?” Sesshomaru said.

“Your little friend. Cute kid. Passed her spelling test yesterday. Hung it on the fridge. You know the one,” Inuyasha replied. It was a guess, but when Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes Inuyasha knew he’d guessed right.

“Get to the point,” Sesshomaru demanded.

“Oh, I’m sure you know my point. A ten year old girl living under the guardianship of a strange man who took her in for who knows what grotesque reason. A man who’s already got a history of abuse.”

Sesshomaru faced him fully and Kagura’s cool finally vanished.

“Sesshomaru would never--!” Kagura started hotly.

“Oh yeah?” Inuyasha cut in, “I’ve got plenty of stories. And a fresh bruise.”

“You started it. Besides, you’re eighteen. You're not under his guradianship anymore,” Kagura said.

“Only a few months. Doesn’t matter, anyway, does it? It’d be enough to start an investigation. And then Rin would be safely out of your custody.”

“Rin doesn’t have anywhere else to go,” Sesshomaru said. Just that. About Rin. Like he was worried. Damn it, why did that piss Inuyasha off more than anything.

“Well, then, that’s a pity, isn’t it?” Inuyasha said. He must sound horrible right now. He wished the others weren’t here, after all. He wished Kagome wasn’t watching.

“ _Don’t_ ,” Kagura said. She was perched on the edge of her seat now, gripping the armrests. “Rin is safest there--Naraku knows better than to take on Sesshomaru so publicly. Sesshomaru would never hurt her, and no one would find any evidence that he has, so an investigation would only be a nuisance that would set us back weeks. We don’t have time for that.”

“Oh, yeah? What _do_ you have time for?”

Kagura’s perfectly painted lips peeled back to bare her teeth, and Sesshomaru looked like a pillar of ice that might come to life and rip Inuyasha to pieces. But Inuyasha recognized the look of defeat when he saw it. It was new on Sesshomaru’s face.

“We’ve been trying to expose Naraku for months now,” Kagura said. “He’s not exactly boss of the year, and I’m finished being his pawn. But even with the two of us, we haven’t found enough incriminating evidence to ensure we’d finally catch him. None that we can use, anyway. Our hands are tied.”

Miroku was leaning forward. “How can that be? You work for him, don’t you? You’ve seen the ins and outs of how he works for years. Your testimony alone would incriminate him.”

“Huh. Anything I said would only--”

“Who would he hurt?” Kagome asked.

Inuyasha turned to her, raising his eyebrows. She hadn’t said anything since Kagura and Sesshomaru had shown up. He hadn’t dared look at her, but now that he did he saw her expression was calm.

“You said your hands were tied,” she continued. “That Naraku might go after Rin if Sesshomaru wasn’t careful. It’s no secret that Naraku likes to make people do what he wants by going after the people he cares about. That’s what he’s done to all of us.” She glanced briefly at her friends, her gaze brushing past Inuyasha’s. “He probably has someone he’d hurt if you were to ever betray him. That’s why it’s taking so long for you to get away from him, isn’t it?”

Inuyasha stared at her. How could she look so sympathetic to this woman who had lured her into the den of a monster just yesterday? But maybe she was right. How many other people had Naraku manipulated into doing his dirty work by threatening the innocent? How many had failed and paid the price?

Kikyo had refused to be one of them. She had run, to protect everyone she cared about, keeping secrets that probably hurt her but which would save others. Kagome hadn’t run. She was currently facing one of Naraku’s main accomplices, who was responsible for her run-in with a murderer, in order to try and stop him, recklessly ignoring threats on her own life.

Inuyasha had no idea which of them was right.

Kagura watched Kagome with an unreadable expression. Then she stood, rounding the desk toward Kagome. Kagome became panicked, and Inuyasha quickly moved toward her, knocking his chair out of the way and grabbing her by the arm to pull her back toward him.

“Calm down, hot head,” Kagura said flatly, shooting him a look. She reached inside the leather briefcase she carried and slipped out a few folded papers. “Here.”

Kagome hesitated before delicately taking the papers.

“I can do this for you, but I warn you, it might turn out to be more than you bargained for,” Kagura said. “You know, we had hoped that Kikyo would be the key to finally catching Naraku, but then she up and disappeared on us before we could figure out how to approach her without him knowing. Maybe you could be the one to do it instead.” She hesitated before saying in a softer voice, “It’s my sister.”

Kagome relaxed beside him, sharing a long look with the woman. Then she nodded. 

Kagura turned on her heel and said to Sesshomaru, “Well, I suppose we’ll let the kids play. If they screw it up, which they definitely will, they already know the consequences, and they’ll have no one to blame but themselves. Right?”

Sesshomaru didn’t look happy, but all he said was, “Do as you like.”

Then he headed for the door, holding it open as Kagura called back over her shoulder, “You kiddies will let us know if you do manage to find anything useful, won’t you?”

“Of course. So long as you show us the same courtesy,” Miroku smiled. Kagura laughed once, haughtily, and Miroku grabbed Sango’s hand before she could make an obscene gesture at the woman. Then Sesshomaru and Kagura were gone.

“Whew,” Sango said after a minute. “That was intense. Is he always like that?”

“Please,” Inuyasha snorted. “That was him in a good mood.” He snapped his mouth shut when Miroku turned a glare on him. “What?”

“Didn’t I tell you to be on your best behavior?” Miroku said.

“That was my best behavior! You should see when I’m not behaving.”

“So, what is that, Kagome?” Sango asked.

Kagome unfolded the papers and looked them over. “It’s an address. And a picture of a store.”

“Let me see,” Miroku said. Kagome handed it to him. He squinted at it, a finger on his chin. “Hmm...wait, do I know this place? I know this place…”

“What place? Where is it?” Inuyasha asked. “...Oi, Monk, you gonna tell us or are you just going to stand there?”

“I need to make a phone call,” Miroku said after a minute, and then headed to the door.

“Hey, wait a second!” Inuyasha called after him.

“Miroku! Where are you going? Tell us what it is!” Sango chased after him, catching the door before it swung shut.

The room seemed eerily quiet after that. With the two threats gone, Inuyasha could feel his heartbeat finally slowing. He plopped back down in his chair, aware of the warmth of Kagome’s pulse in her wrist another second--too quick, but at least alive--before he let her slip away. He expected a jibe from her, or some kind of reprimand about what had just happened, but she was silent. It was worse.

“Sorry,” he said after an awkward moment.

She turned to him. “What?”

“What do you mean what? You can’t tell me you’re not thinking how stupid I was to lose my temper when it could have put all of us in even more danger. So...sorry, I didn’t handle it the way you wanted me to.”

“No, I wasn’t thinking that. I thought you were pretty cool, actually.”

He raised his eyebrows but she was walking away now. He said, “Cool? No way. You’re always getting on my case about picking fights.”

“ _He_ picked the fight, not you. I would have hit him if you hadn’t. But I mean, even with that. You were cool.” She stopped at a bureau along the wall and pulled a tissue from a box on top. She returned and handed it to him, and it took him a second to realize it was for the blood drying on his face. “I don’t think you’ve ever said sorry to me before,” she said.

“Heh?” he paused in wiping the blood away. “Ah. Uh.”

She crossed her arms, but he could see her annoyance was an attempt to lighten the mood. “Don’t act surprised, as if you’ve ever said sorry to anyone before.”

“Tch, of course not. Why should I have?”

“Heh, really? No one?”

“Hell, no. So don’t you dare tell anyone. They'll think I'm going soft.”

He watched a weird collage of expressions flick across her face and almost smiled. All right, so she _was_ acting more normal. Then she sat on the edge of the desk and leaned forward to look at his swollen face.

Just like he’d done to her yesterday. He remembered being this close, remembered gently touching her cheek where she had been hurt. He could reach up now and do the same. Or he could lean forward and put his face in her hair and breath in the smell until he forgot how furious his brother made him. There was something pulling in his chest that wanted the same thing.

Her eyelashes kept getting caught on her bangs as she frowned at his split lip. A tiny frown. With soft lips.

Damn, it was hard to swallow.

Her eyes suddenly flicked to his and then she was standing and walking toward the couch, saying with a nonchalant wave of her hand. “Well, that sounds like something you’ll have to figure out with Kikyo’s help! It’s not my place to lecture you about picking fights or saying you’re sorry.”

“Ha! It’s never stopped you before,” he said dryly.

“Well, maybe it should have.” She flopped down on the couch, her back to him, looking out the window. She sighed. “I’ll be glad when all of this is over. I think the stress might kill me before Naraku does.”

He looked at her hair trailing over the armrest in shinny waves and wondered if the pull still yanking on his chest was unsettling or pleasant.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> My finger slipped and I wrote another entire fanfic.


End file.
